The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council on Sunday night justified the absence of its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, saying the debate clashed with his engagements.

The campaign council’s clarification is coming in the wake of Tinubu’s absence at a live presidential debate held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

Tinubu’s counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, who was said to be on his way from Morocco, was, however, represented by his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

The PUNCH reported that a pro-democracy think tank, the Centre for Democracy and Development, had invited the four leading presidential candidates in the 2023 elections to speak on their plans for the country.

The debate, which was aired live on Arise Television, was meant to allow Nigerians to ascertain which candidate and political party possessed the best ideas for bringing lasting solutions to the country’s challenges.

When contacted, the Director of Media and Communications, Bayo Onanuga, told our correspondent in an exclusive phone chat that the debate clashed with Tinubu’s campaign town hall meeting with agro-farmers in Minna, Niger State capital.

Onanuga made reference to the APC presidential campaign calendar to justify his position.

He said, “We are in Minna now for engagement with farmers and agro-commodities groups ahead of tomorrow. The media cannot suddenly come up with a debate and wants us to drop everything we are doing to attend it. It is wrong. We also have our campaign schedule to attend to.”

When reminded that the presidential candidate could still have shown up since the engagement in question is slated for Monday, Onanuga disagreed.

“Are we going to use jet to travel to Minna? As I earlier told you, we are in Minna already and cannot make it to the programme. In our own case, their proposal clashes with the campaign programme of our candidate. That’s why we didn’t turn up,” he stated.

Asked if Tinubu would have turned up at the debate if the Minna engagement has not been fixed, the campaign media director stated that there was a likelihood he might.

He said, “Maybe. But he is busy with some other things and he cannot leave that one for this. There are more important things.

“After Minna, we are returning to Abuja before the next engagement in Nasarawa State on Wednesday. After then, I think Calabar is up for Saturday. You can see that this week is a very busy one for the candidate.

“Again, next week, we will be in Imo State on Tuesday for a rally and zonal stakeholders meeting. It is not on Monday as some people erroneously reported. The earlier schedule people saw was just a draft, which is still subject to amendment.”

The presidential campaign calendar, which was revised again on Friday, shows that aside from the town hall meeting with agro-farmers on Monday, Tinubu will have a dinner with his campaign patrons in Abuja on Tuesday while another town hall meeting on interfaith stakeholders will hold in Nasarawa on Wednesday.

Tinubuwins2023e:
Tinubu has more important engagements to attend to. The presidential debate on Arise TV isn't changing anything. A good leader has to set his priorities right. Since the debate is not a priority to him and his team then you can force it on him.
No matter how interesting the debate may be (Which isn't anyway), nothing can change my support and love for Tinubu likewise millions of Tinubu's supporters.
If Tinubu is present at the debate, no matter how brilliant he performs, it will not change the mind of Obituaries from hating him. In fact, they want him to be there not just to listen to him and his policies but to mock him and look for fault here and there.
What's the point showing up at your enemies gathering.
Tinubu should focus on his agenda and plans and stick to it strictly and not be distracted by all this inconsequential setups that will not add any value to anyone.

Tinubuwins2023e:
Tinubu has more important engagements to attend to. The presidential debate on Arise TV isn't changing anything. A good leader has to set his priorities right. Since the debate is not a priority to him and his team then you can force it on him.
No matter how interesting the debate may be (Which isn't anyway),nothing can make me like Peter Obituary or any other candidate there and nothing can change my support and love for Tinubu likewise millions of Tinubu's supporters.
If Tinubu is present at the debate, no matter how brilliant he performs, it will not change the mind of Obituaries from hating him. In fact, they want him to be there not just to listen to him and his policies but to mock him and look for fault here and there.
What's the point showing up at your enemies gathering.
Tinubu should focus on his agenda and plans and stick to it strictly and not be distracted by all this inconsequential setups that will not add any value to him and his team.

Tinubuwins2023e:
Tinubu has more important engagements to attend to. The presidential debate on Arise TV isn't changing anything. A good leader has to set his priorities right. Since the debate is not a priority to him and his team then you can force it on him.
No matter how interesting the debate may be (Which isn't anyway),nothing can make me like Peter Obituary or any other candidate there and nothing can change my support and love for Tinubu likewise millions of Tinubu's supporters.
If Tinubu is present at the debate, no matter how brilliant he performs, it will not change the mind of Obituaries from hating him. In fact, they want him to be there not just to listen to him and his policies but to mock him and look for fault here and there.
What's the point showing up at your enemies gathering.
Tinubu should focus on his agenda and plans and stick to it strictly and not be distracted by all this inconsequential setups that will not add any value to him and his team.

kk2027:


Are you sure you read the bold before posting ?
So Nigerians are his enemies that he cant come on air and talk to the people he's seeking their votes

Ok NBA too I guess are his enemies

Even accountants invited him but I guess they're his enemies too

So where exactly will Tinubu's votes come from?

Tinubuwins2023e:


Tinubu is a strategist and a unifier. We will call the CEOs of those people you mentioned and lecture them.
He has already released his roadmap to Nigerian so get one and study it critically. This debate is meaningless.
Governor Okowa is the best amongst the 4 of them on this particular debate but did that make you like him more than Peter Obituary? The answer is NO. So with is the point

dabiko:
This is about the only country in modern world where the candidate of a ruling party will brazenly avoid speaking to Nigerians about his programmes and plans for the nation yet some people try so much to justify it. This is unbelievable. In other climes if a candidate is always dodging public engagements and forums to discuss his/her plans, that candidate would be considered unserious and stands no chance in the actual election. Alas, when strange things happen in Nigeria, they are somehow considered normal.

If Osinbajo or Amaechi was the candidate, I'm certain they will make themselves available for public engagements despite their schedules. It shows you respect the people. Town Hall meetings provides an avenue for citizens to interrogate each candidates ideas, ascertain their intellectual acuity and thought process on issues relating to the office they seek.

Sadly, ignorance and illiteracy have been weaponised by the political elites and they have continued to use both tools alongside ethnicity to divide and rule Nigeria. Nigeria has great potentials and the sooner the young people realise that it is their future that is being toyed with, the better for them. Young people your time has come. Take charge of your destiny.

While voting in 2023 endeavor to do so with the future in mind and not for the present.

Tinubuwins2023e:
Tinubu has more important engagements to attend to. The presidential debate on Arise TV isn't changing anything. A good leader has to set his priorities right. Since the debate is not a priority to him and his team then you can force it on him.
No matter how interesting the debate may be (Which isn't anyway),nothing can make me like Peter Obituary or any other candidate there and nothing can change my support and love for Tinubu likewise millions of Tinubu's supporters.
If Tinubu is present at the debate, no matter how brilliant he performs, it will not change the mind of Obituaries from hating him. In fact, they want him to be there not just to listen to him and his policies but to mock him and look for fault here and there.
What's the point showing up at your enemies gathering.
Tinubu should focus on his agenda and plans and stick to it strictly and not be distracted by all this inconsequential setups that will not add any value to him and his team.

Penguin2:


So in essence, you are saying Tinubu will never attend any debate?