The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), will take a decision on whether its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, will participate in debates for the forthcoming presidential election slated for February 25, 2023.
Insider sources in the Tinubu/Shetimma Presidential Campaign Organisation inform our correspondent that the decision has been made to keep the presidential candidate of the APC away from live interviews and the presidential debates for the season due to the former governor’s declining mental composure.
The Nigeria Election Debate Group, (NEDG), Nigeria Economic Summit Group, (NESG), Centre for Democracy and Development, (CDD), and other partners had announced on Tuesday that they already outlined debates for the presidential candidates and their running mates.
The Executive Secretary, NEDG, Eddie Emessiri, said the debate will be divided into four sessions beginning in Abuja on November 15.
The second leg comes up in Port Harcourt on December 15 while Lagos will hold the third leg on January 19, 2023. The final stage is billed for Kano in February 2023.
The organisers stressed that three of the four sessions will focus on the presidential candidates while the remaining session to be held in Port Harcourt will be for the vice presidential candidates.
The theme of the first debate in Abuja will hinge on the economy while the exercise slated for Lagos would be on foreign policy, education and security.
Also, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said it has concluded arrangements with a global economic think-tank to organise a series of presidential debates which are set to debut on November 5, 2022.
When asked if Tinubu will participate in the debate, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Chief Spokesperson of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of State, Labour, and Employment, informed reporters that the decision will be taken at the higher level of the party.
“On the issue of debate, that decision is not going to be taken by me alone. I can’t stay here and give a commitment. It will be some decision taken at the higher level,” he said.
When asked if Tinubu will grant interviews like other presidential candidates, Keyamo wondered why Nigerians are so particular about interviews when Tinubu is already speaking to Nigerians at rallies and gatherings such as the Arewa summit held last week in Kaduna.
A journalist, Oseni Rufai, one of the anchors of the ‘Arise Morning Show’ on Arise News TV had tweeted that having interviewed other presidential candidates such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Omoyele Sowore, they eagerly await Tinubu’s presence on the show.
“We eagerly await the APC presidential candidate for an interview on Arisetv, we have had Obi, Atiku, Kwankwaso, Sowore, and others. We will like to hear his ideas for Nigeria and chat about them!”
When contacted, Keyamo wondered why some Nigerians are fixated on interviews when Tinubu is already addressing issues raised at events and rallies.
According to him, the most important thing is for Tinubu to speak to Nigerians and he has been doing that.
“Asiwaju Tinubu has been speaking at rallies and gatherings. The most important thing is that he is speaking to Nigerians. What’s all this fixation about sitting down in an interview?
“He is speaking everywhere he goes. Are they not seeing him? He is addressing issues. He is talking to Nigerians everywhere he goes,” Keyamo said.
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