By Ismail Azeez
The governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Accord Party, and African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Saturday boycotted the Osun State governorship debate organized by a coalition of media organizations ahead of the August 15 election.
The debate, which was scheduled to provide candidates with an opportunity to present their manifestos and engage directly with voters, was eventually called off following the absence of the leading candidates and concerns raised by the organizers.
Reacting to the development, the African Action Congress (AAC) criticized the absence of the governorship candidates, Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Najeem Salam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) describing their decision to boycott the event as a sign of unpreparedness for leadership.
Addressing a press conference at the Osun NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel shortly after speaking at the venue as the only gubernatorial candidate who showed up, Olajide Esan of the AAC said the refusal of the three major opposition candidates to participate deprived voters of the opportunity to assess their plans and leadership qualities.
According to Esan, governorship debates remain an important feature of democratic elections because they allow candidates to publicly articulate their vision, defend their policies, and respond to questions from journalists and members of the public.
The AAC gubernatorial candidate argued that candidates seeking to govern the state should be willing to submit themselves to public scrutiny, insisting that accountability and transparency are essential qualities of leadership.
Esan added that the decision to stay away from the debate raised concerns about the readiness of the affected candidates to govern the state if elected.
“A candidate who cannot face the media and the electorate to explain his agenda cannot be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the state,” he stated.
The AAC standard-bearer maintained that leadership requires openness, confidence, and the ability to defend policies before the electorate, adding that the people of Osun deserve leaders who are prepared to answer questions and provide practical solutions to the state’s challenges.
Highlighting his party’s agenda, Esan said the AAC remains committed to transparent and people-oriented governance, with programs aimed at improving public accountability, expanding economic opportunities, creating jobs for youths, and deploying technology to improve governance.
Among the initiatives outlined by the party are a financial dashboard to enable citizens to monitor government finances, an Osun Youth Infrastructure Corps for job creation, a Child Trust Fund, an agro-trade development program, information technology hubs for young people, a geo-referenced data system for planning, and a digital governance framework.
The AAC governorship candidate called on voters to support the party in the forthcoming governorship election, saying its manifesto offers practical solutions for economic growth, social justice, and improved service delivery in Osun State.