NIGERIA: President faces opposition in a debate

  1. Posted on Friday 4 March 2011 - 10:04
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    Omena ABENABE, AfricaNews reporter in Abuja, Nigeria
    The presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Nuhu Ribadu has challenged Nigeria's current president who is campaigning to return to office to a presidential debate. According to Ribadu, since 1999, PDP presidential candidates have been shying away from debates because they have nothing to offer and that the present state of the nation was a clear testimony to the fact that PDP had no meaningful agenda for the nation.
    Goodluck
    The three-series debate which is expected to hold from March 8 is organized by NN24, a TV station, in association with 30 other international media houses for the top four contenders for the presidential race – and their running mates. The candidates are: Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling party, People’s Democratic Party; Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria; Former Head of State, Muhammad Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change; and Ibrahim Shekarau, current governor of Kano State and presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party.

    Media reports state that however, the representative of Jonathan camp, Dr. Doyin Okupe, gave two conditions for their participation but both were rejected by the other representatives. The Jonathan Camp had allegedly asked that they get the questions before the event and that the studio audience be restricted from asking questions.

    The Ribadu campaign organization whose candidate is a major contender for the ticket says the demands from the Jonathan camp is a clear indication that the ruling party is a party of failed promises. “Notwithstanding the fact that the price of crude oil has been selling well above the bench mark price, the PDP controlled government has not been able to address the critical issues of power and poverty,” Mr. Ribadu said.

    The Nigerian leader who has a PhD in Zoology was a lecturer before getting into politics and he is expected to be in the debate with Ribadu, who is a former police man and prosecutor, Buhari, a former Head of State, and Shekarau who is currently rounding of his term as a governor and, a media practitioner.

    “Gone are the days when politicians would mount the soap box to make empty promises which would eventually leave the country in a worse state than they met it,” he added.

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