The
presidential candidates of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN),
Alliance for New Democracy (ANN), and Young Progressives Party (YPP) have
slammed President Muhammadu Buhari (APC) and former Vice President Atiku
Abubakar (PDP) for shunning Saturday’s presidential debate.
Obiageli Ezekwesili of ACPN, Fela Durtotoye of ANN, and
Kingsley Moghalu of YPP, who were at the presidential debate, said the absence
of Buhari and Atiku from the debate showed that they and their parties have no
regard for Nigerians and lack the answers to critical questions.
Ezekwesili said, “I’m not surprised they are not here.
They have just simply announced their exit from the governance of our country.
“I must let you know that for the Nigerian people, this
is a moment to make a clear judgment as to whether we are connected to the
issues that matter to the Nigerian people.
“We showed up for this debate not because we are new
entrants into politics but because we believe it is time for a new kind of
governance in Nigeria.
For Moghalu, their absence smacked of the arrogance.
He said, “I am not at all surprised that the leaders of
the APC and the PDP have decided to turn their back on the people of Nigeria
and tell them finally, they never amounted to much in their eyes.
“The reason why they are not here: one is arrogance. They
believe the people of Nigeria have no voice and no choice. They believe that
you cannot move away from them.
“They believe they have trapped you, they have kept you
in bondage for over too long and it is now time for us to send them a message.
The second reason why they are not here is because they cannot answer the
questions. Very simple, very straight-forward. They belong to the old class of
recycled politicians who want to come to power with a sense of entitlement.”
Durotoye stressed that both Buhari and Atiku have set
themselves up for a fall.
He said, “Well, it seems that the future is here. Pride
always comes before a fall and every time you believe that there is no need to
tell the people the things you are going to do, it means you are not there to
serve them in the first place; you are going to rule over them.
Like Moghalu, Durotoye said Nigerians should not be
surprised by their absence.
“This has been consistent over the last 20 years,” he
said. “We have had 20 years of rulership and rulers do not explain to their
subject what it is they are going to do. They don’t owe it to them. I think the
greatest deceit we have to deal with in this nation is that rulers call
themselves leaders and make us, subjects feel like followers. We are not
followers, we are subject to them.”
The Nigeria Elections Debate Group and the Broadcasting
Organisations of Nigeria had invited the trio along with Buhari and Atiku for
the Presidential debate.
While President Buhari did not show up at all, Atiku
showed up at the venue only to leave without participating in the event. He
blamed his decision on Buhari’s absence.
Culled from Channels Television