Nigerian
voters will have an opportunity to assess those seeking their mandate to
administer the affairs of the country as presidential debate has been scheduled
for Tuesday, February 3 as part of the build-up to the February 14 elections.
The
debate, initiated by and ARISE Television and Channels, and THISDAY and
Guardian Newspapers Limited on behalf the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association
of Nigeria (NPAN), is scheduled to hold at the Congress Hall of the
Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The
February 3 debate is coming on the heels of an earlier attempt by the Nigeria
Election Debate Group to host a presidential debate, which is currently mired
in controversy following the rejection of the invite to participate by the
presidential flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General
Muhammadu Buhari, alleging unhidden bias and campaign of calumny by its key
organisers against the party’s corporate interest.
An
indication that Tuesday’s debate will not suffer the fate of the BON-organised
version has been bolstered by the acceptance of the invite through a letter by
Jonathan/Sambo 2015 Presidential Campaign Organisation, while General Buhari
Campaign Organisation has indicated his intention to participate in principle.
In
a letter dated January 14, 2015, to the organisers of the debate, Senator
Ahmadu Ali, Director General of the Jonathan/Sambo 2015 Presidential Campaign
Organisation, said the President "has accepted to participate in the
debate."
No
official letter has been received from the General Buhari Campaign Organisation
as at press time, but it has indicated its intention to participate in this
debate in principle.
In
the letter dated January 11, 2015 to both candidates and delivered the same
day, the organisers had noted that "too many of the troubles we now face
stem from governance: decisions made behind closed doors, regulations removed
when no one was looking, or reckless actions and impunity across the
polity."
The
letter also reads: "Our nation is strongest when our elected leaders are
accessible and accountable to its citizens, explaining decisions and answering
tough questions. That standard of openness and transparency must start long
before Election Day on February 14, 2015."
The
footage of the debate, which is expected to be watched by civil society groups
and youth groups among other stakeholders, will be made available live to all
broadcast stations and will also be available on the social media: Twitter,
Facebook and Google. Attendance at the debate will be strictly by invitation.
Tags
Politics