When the APC campaign council released a
statement yesterday that it’s candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, was going to
boycott the upcoming NEDG presidential debate, it felt like deja vu.
In 2011, when an independent
broadcaster, NN24, organised a presidential debate for the major
candidates, only Pres. Goodluck Jonathan failed to show up. As a result
of his refusal, the three other major candidates, Muhammadu Buhari of
the Congress for Progressive Change, Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress
of Nigeria and Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party
released a joint statement announcing their boycott of the NEDG debate
which Pres. Jonathan preferred and was willing to attend.
The joint statement signed by their respective spokesmen said that they were paying Jonathan back in his own coin.
“We state without ambiguity that our
principals will not honour any debate session with President Goodluck
Jonathan in the 2011 elections as he has arrogantly shunned the credible
debate for which we made ourselves available,” the trio said in the
statement.
As a result, Pres. Jonathan ‘debated’ himself while the podiums meant for the three other major candidates were left empty.
Here’s how the stage looked like on the day of the debate…. seems like it will be the same this year.