By Precious Mark
The Presidentila Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has declared that his participation in any presidential debate ahead of the 2027 general elections will be strictly contingent upon the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, by his official spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, the opposition coalition leader argued that previous debate formats organised strictly among opposition candidates were structurally flawed and counterproductive to democratic accountability.
“Political contest worldwide has always been between the ruling party and the opposition parties. Presidential debates worldwide have also been organised between the ruling party and the opposition,” the statement read.
Okonkwo noted that presidential debates globally serve as a platform for voters to evaluate the ruling party against the opposition, adding that excluding the incumbent administration shields the government from public scrutiny while provoking infighting within opposition ranks.
“This has become a strategy that the failed, incompetent, and corrupt APC government under Tinubu has been using to further instigate the opposition to attack each other while shielding itself from scrutiny by the Nigerian people,” Okonkwo said.
The statement emphasised that while Atiku remains willing to engage citizens through town hall meetings, press conferences, and media interviews, he will not participate in debate arrangements that grant an unfair political advantage to the governing party.
“HE Atiku Abubakar, therefore, challenges President Bola Tinubu to a national presidential debate which will provide an opportunity for both the ruling party and the opposition parties to address Nigerians on their policies and ways to achieve those policies so that Nigerians can make an informed choice for the 2027 elections,” the statement added.