For me, the debate is very
necessary…lol!
According to a report by
Premium Times, the biggest party in West Africa PDP has dared the largest
opposition party in Nigeria APC to organize their own election debate and see
if the incumbent president Jonathan would not floor their party flag bearer
Gen. Buhari
Premium Times report…
The ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday challenged the competence of Muhammadu Buhari
to debate President Goodluck Jonathan.
The PDP alleged that Mr.
Buhari, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, is not
capable of debating Mr. Jonathan.
As the APC had pulled out
of a debate organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, citing
the alleged bias and impartiality of the organisers, the PDP dared the opposition
party to organise any other debate, promising that President Jonathan is ready
to challenge his major opponent.
“Let them be the ones to
organise it; let them set up the panel; let them bring out the questions; let
them show their candidate the questions before hand and let them prepare
answers to those questions for their candidate,” the PDP Campaign Organisation
spokesperson, Femi Fani-Kayode, said while addressing journalists.
“Let them write it down
for him; let them come and we will still debate with them as long as it is live
and as long as our candidate is allowed to give his answers and as long as he
is not cut short. As long as they would do that, we are ready to debate with
them.”
The spokesperson added
that “even in those circumstances, General Muhammadu Buhari would not be able
to stand against President Goodluck Jonathan. They know that; we know that and
the entire country knows that and that is why they are running away.”
Mr. Fani-Kayode said his
party was aware there were some Nigerians who were yet to make up their mind on
who to vote in the February 14 election, and so was willing to attend a debate
to present the achievements of Mr. Jonathan.
“But for those that are
yet to decide and perhaps for those who are leaning towards Buhari, if we have
a live debate and everybody is allowed to speak his or her mind freely and
fairly, I assure you that by the end of that exercise, General Buhari will be
exposed for what he is and President Jonathan will be able to give the Nigerian
people a glimpse of what he has to offer and also a good account of his records
for the last four years,” he said.
“That is why the other
side is running away. So, I think at the end of the exercise, after such a
debate, whether APC-organised or whether organised by anybody else, President
Jonathan will come out in flying colours while General Buhari will come out a
very unhappy man.”
But in a prompt response,
the APC Campaign Organisation said it is considering featuring its candidate at
other credible media fora without the prompting of Mr. Fani-Kayode.
In a statement by its
spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the APC campaign said Mr. Buhari will not shy away
from explaining his policy plank on how to rebuild Nigeria from the current
situation put in place by Mr. Jonathan.
“What is the hullabaloo
about GMB (General Muhammadu Buhari) not attending a debate organised by
elements that have shown unhidden bias towards his person, family, career and
political interest?” Mr. Shehu said.
“It is on record that the
man (Buhari) had participated in previous presidential debates in 2007 and 2011
respectively, which the PDP candidate did not attend,” he added in reference to
the 2011 presidential debate boycotted by Mr. Jonathan, but attended by Mr.
Buhari and other major opposition candidates. Mr. Buhari had also attended the
debate in 2007, which was boycotted by the PDP candidate, late Umaru Yar’Adua,
who eventually won the election.
Mr. Shehu added that “the
APC and General Buhari have received several media invitations to the presidential
election from different organisations and the party is still vetting the ones
to attend, due to time constraints and motive of the organisers.”
He dismissed the
insinuations from Mr. Fani-Kayode that the boycott by the APC amounts to
“shielding Buhari from intellectual discussion.”
Mr. Shehu described Mr.
Fani-Kayode’s remarks as the ranting of a man “with deficit communication
acumen and mastery of simple logic.”
“The interpretation by the
spokesman of the PDP Campaign is a huge lie. Nigerians know Buhari as a man of
high integrity and one that would not shy away from public scrutiny. He is the
type that would declare his asset publicly, a no-go area to the sitting
President who once said ‘I don’t give a damn’ when challenged to do so in the
past.
“Buhari has been to almost
32 states to explain his plans for the revival and resuscitation of our nation,
and his endearing utterances have been aired to Nigerians who now support his
cause en masse, unlike those who are losing party loyalists per second.”
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