The presidential debate organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) will hold today, Saturday January 19, in Abuja.
The debate is scheduled to hold by 7pm at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, the same venue where the vice-presidential debate held on Friday, December 14, 2018.
It will be transmitted live on all BON member stations and its affiliates, and streamed live on all social media platforms.
Only five political parties have been selected to participate.
They are: the Allied Congress Party Of Nigeria (ACPN), the Alliance For New Nigeria (ANN), All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and The Young Progressive Party (YPP).
This means the candidates expected at the debate are President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, Oby Ezekwesili, Fela Durotoye and Kingsley Moghalu.
Meanwhile The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has left the United States of America for Nigeria.
Atiku touched down on the soil of the God’s Own country for the first time after almost 13 years.
During his stay, Atiku had a roundtable with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where he shared his plan to get Nigeria working again.
He is expected to land in Abuja, the nation’s capital, in time for the televised presidential debate scheduled for 7pm Nigerian time.
ALSO The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has given one reason he may not participate in the forthcoming presidential debate.
Speaking through the Spokesman of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Kassim Afegbua, Atiku said he would only attend the debate on the condition that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, President Muhammadu Buhari will also be on ground.
Atiku said he would only participate if Buhari will be available for the engagement.
Atiku stated this in reaction to the statement by the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay that President Buhari will not debate with political dwarfs.
He berated Sagay for making such a statement, saying the erudite professor has become a turncoat academic.
He said, “When you realised that a supposed law professor like Itse Sagay now talks with tongue in cheek, you easily know that societal values and morality have become debased.
“When you realised that he once taught in the University, then the senility of his intellect has attained double jeopardy.
“Itse Sagay has not only become a turncoat academic but one whose sight invokes pity, sympathy and empathy. How can APC presidential candidate who has been fighting ‘battles’ with his WASC consider others who are duly qualified and well read as dwarfs?
“Does it not suggest that something is amiss somewhere?
“Who is actually a dwarf here? Is it a presidential candidate running away from debate or one who is challenging the other to a debate?
“Didn’t you see them packaging a phoney debate for him where he would have studied the questions and answers and regurgitate them to the best of what would have been prepared for him?
“If the APC presidential candidate is not presenting himself for debate, we will not allow our presidential candidate to attend any debate. But if APC candidate is ready to engage our candidate, he is ready and prepared for him.”
