Buhari Refuses To Partake In Debate Organized By NEDG

The All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has revealed why he decided not to partake in the debate organised by the Nigeria Election Debate Group.

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

The explanation was conveyed on Friday by the Buhari Support Organisation, the umbrella body of all support groups campaigning for the 2015 February 14 presidential election.

The organisation’s spokesman, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, stated that the composition of the debate panel is a clear indication that there was a ground design to rubbish the hard earned integrity of the APC presidential candidate.

Maduekwe further pointed out that if the Nigerian military with its integrity could be framed into the controversy  surrounding Buhari’s secondary school certificate, it means anything can be done by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rubbish the APC presidential candidate.

He said it is their duty therefore to be vigilant always and refuse to offer the platform for PDP to achieve their mischievous plans.

“The Buhari Support Organisation wishes to underscore our candidate’s decision not to be hoodwinked into participating in the sham debates promoted by Mr. Sola Omole of NTA and some other pro-Jonathan individuals from African Independent Television. A cursory look at the composition of the panel reveals that it includes the likes of Mr. Mike Omeri, a Director – General of the National Orientation Agency and a close associate of the last Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, who was a major financier of Jonathan’s election bid in 2011 and Ms Sally Mbanefo, the DG of Nigeria Tourism Board. With such composition, the NEDG is certainly tinted and cannot be seen to organise a credible debate. In a severely corrupted third world nation, one cannot reasonably expect a political appointee to organise a fair debate that could result in an electoral loss for his employer. The other principal promoters from NTA and AIT represent the two electronic organisations that have made no secret of their unalloyed support for President Jonathan’s re-election bid. These television stations are presently the overt campaign vehicle for the PDP presidential candidate. The recent hate documentary that ran for several days on AIT is a pointer to the extent that Jonathan handlers are prepared to just rubbish the hard earned integrity of Gen. Buhari. We recall that in 2011, it was alleged that one of the President’s Chief Economic advisers obtained questions in advance and forwarded them to Mr. President’s ministers for answers,” he said.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) had earlier said it didn’t know anything of the alleged refusal of the All Progressives Congress campaign to take part in the electoral public debates on national TV channels.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that the APC presidential candidate had refused to take part in current public debates on national television and radio, being prepared by the Broadcast Organization of Nigeria (BON).

However, the reason stated above by the presidential candidate of the APC, Buhari for not partaking in the debate might not be unconnected with the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG) reaction to the allegations that it leaked debate questions to the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan.