Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation said in Abuja on Friday that the decision by the All Progressives Congress not to participate in the presidential debate being organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria was simply to shield from Nigerians and the international audience its candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged intellectual laziness and inability to constructively engage contemporary national issues in a live television and radio debate.
Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, stated that the APC knew that Buhari would flunk it if he was subjected to the rigours of debate on issues of national governance and development.
It will be recalled that the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a press statement on Thursday in Abuja that the Nigeria Election Debate Group-powered debate was fraught with fundamental errors from the outset, by wearing the toga of government control, especially being composed mainly of agencies and allies of the incumbent PDP administration.
Shehu said, “A salutary inspection of the composition of NEGD brings into focus the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, National Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and the Africa Independent Television (AIT, owned by a PDP chieftain).
“And going by the avalanche of inflammatory statements, misinformation and blatant lies being propagated by some of these media against our party and candidates contrary to the Koffi Annan-brokered Abuja Peace Accord, and the failure of these aggressors to desist and apologise, have left the APC Campaign with no option than to steer clear of any premeditated smear campaign that could be inimical to our prospective electoral success.”
The APCPCO spokesman further explained that the boycott by the APC should not be seen as disrespect to Nigerian voters, or an alibi for the party to dodge public scrutiny; but it must be viewed as an honourable right not to consent to any activity that could distract, demean, denigrate or derail the fast-moving train of the party.
“The APC is a party of progressive intellectuals, genuine technocrats, successful businessmen and women, and most of all, eminent and courteous people of honour who would never condescend to the level of sadistic gutter propaganda, all in the name of political exigency and crass opportunism,” Shehu said.
But Fani-Kayode said he was aware that the APC had already expressed its concerns, when approached by an international news channel for a debate, about the intellectual acumen of Buhari, and had assured the news channel that it was only comfortable with its vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who has capacity to feature brilliantly on the programme.
source: nigerianeye
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