Debate: PDP Rules Out Begging ACN, ANPP & CPC As GEJ Honours Event

Source: THEWILL. - thewillnigeria.com
NIGERIAN PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN WAVES TO SUPPORTERS AT THE GRAND FINALE OF THE PDP'S CAMPAIGN RALLY AT THE EAGLE SQUARE IN ABUJA ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011.
NIGERIAN PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN WAVES TO SUPPORTERS AT THE GRAND FINALE OF THE PDP'S CAMPAIGN RALLY AT THE EAGLE SQUARE IN ABUJA ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011.

ABUJA, March 28, (THEWILL) – The Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today said it would not beg rivals of its Presidential candidate to reconsider their joint decision to pull out of the Presidential debate being hosted by the Nigeria Election Debate group (NEDG) alongside various notable independent organisations and the civil society.

Recall that the Presidential candidates of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buahri; Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau had issued a joint statement a few days ago withdrawing from the debate saying it was “highly suspicious of the celebrated romance with the BON debate by the President Jonathan’s camp which shunned the NN24 debate wiithout an apology.”

But Jonathan’s campaign council’s Director General, Senator Dalhatu Tafida during a chat with journalists in Abuja said President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo would go ahead with the debates irrespective of the position of main rivals for the April polls. Dalhatu added that the campaign would not seek audience with the rivals with a view to bringing them back to the dabte.

The Director General further said the Presidential debate being hosted by the NEDG would reach a broader audience unlike the one hosted by the cable TV channel NN24, which had a limited viewing audience.


“PDP will not reach out to them to come because this is Nigerian affair and the body organizing this debate is purely Nigerian comprising of the major broadcast and print journals in the country.

“By their not attending shows the level of respect they have for the Nigerian electorate. As far as PDP is concerned, our Presidential candidate and his running mate will attend the debates.

“It is left for them to come and if eventually they did not come, it is up to their own decision to also explain their position of not coming to Nigerians,” Dr Dalhatu Tafida stated.

The Vice Presidential debate is expected to hold tonight, while the Presidential debate holds on March 29, 2011 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja..