1, Fela Durotoye, Moghalu and Oby had at one time worked for APC, and are not running to win but to divide votes. The main contender is Buhari. Why would Atiku debate with spoilers who may be secretly working for the ruling party while the main contender didn't appear.
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2, Atiku already showed his willingness to Debate by coming to the venue, and he knows who he is challenging. Definitely not fela nor Oby nor moghalu.
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3. Why should atiku contend in a debate for a crown with people who do not have the crown?
. Why?
.it is like a pretty girl engaging in a fight with an ugly girl, the pretty lady has everything to loose. If she should fight, she should fight with a fellow pretty lady. With due respect to other contestants, the only persons with a chance of victory is Atiku n buhari because of their person and party with national presence.
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.if Atiku had debated, buhari will just chill in asoro rock, watching them on TV n hoping the candidates tear them selves apart.
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4. Even if Atiku performed well in the debate, with whom will his debate be compared with? Oby, fela or moghalu? Buhari is the standard by which other aspirants debate would be compared with to know if they are better alternative. Other aspirants were supposed to protest Buhari's absence by following Atiku 's steps.
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5. Some people argue that by not debating atiku lossed the chance to tell Nigerians what he wants to offer, that is a big lie, the debate is not an opportunity to tell Nigerians what you have to offer, campaigns, rallies, town hall meetings and social media already created a platform to tell Nigerians what you want to offer. Before the debate, we already know what Atiku is offering Nigerians, some of his selling points include boosting our economy, restructuring etc. These he had been saying in townhall meetings, campaigns, social media etc. The debate therefore is supposed to be a ground for intellectual battle with other aspirants. And the defending champion didn't show up, what do you think was the best decision at that point? Be the judge, but judge smartly n not just by emotion.
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6, in our recent past, politicians who didn't participate in presidential debate always ended up winning the election. From Yar Adua, to Jonathan and even Buhari. If Atiku had participated in the debate, he would had sealed his fate to loose to buhari, that is if we should go by the history of our presidential debates.
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In summary Atiku had more to loose than to gain for participating in a debate without Buhari.

why is atiku avoiding the debate.hahaha

Atiku and Buhari should go and rest. Atiku has his garbage. OBJ himself once said that the man cannot be trusted. PMB is tired.

Oby Ezekwsili has a solid track in public management both locally and internationally - Yet her people are hardly campaigning for her.

I think the woman will win more votes in South West than in the South East!

I watched Tunde Bakare yesterday say that Nigerians should stop saying that there is no credible alternative.

Oby is one, but even her people are not routing for her.

Maybe the people are not really looking for credibility!

Nigeria's problems are many but one of them is - Nigerians!

None of them is working for Buhari...they’re all chasing their dreams

Another lie from the pit of hell. Atiku showed up abi your tv is made by lai muhamed. He refused to join the debate because buhari didnt show up and has asked the apc to allow him and the organiser should fix another date. ...But I doubt if buhari would show up again. BON postponed the presidential debate 2 times because of buhari but still, he refused to show up. What's he afraid of?

Okay.

Why should atiku contend in a debate for a crown with people who do not have the crown?

This is the most cogent of all the reasons being put forward so far. In my opinion the debate should have been postponed until the president can attend, and sanctions should be metted out to major absentees in future.

yea,


If you go for interview, ask for a top candidate u are xpecting. If the person did not come, just go home.

It is high time you people stop defending the useless statement that it is a "Presidential Debate" not "Candidate Debate"
(it is a debate between presidential candidates not Presidents)

That is why they deny the masses quality education so that they can not reason on their own.

As for the other idiot that did not attend too, No PDP incumbents ever attended any debate. if you excuse them, u can excuse him too.

Atiku made the right decision not to debate. Those other smooth talking fellows would have run him ragged and reduced his value leaving Buhari untouched and with more ammunition for BMC to attack him

how una expect a business professor and an almajiri to debate.... yeeeee.... who slap me...

Good points

But

Atiku could have shown up, at least for optics sake. So as to make APC look bad, and himself look good.

Even if the other candidates bash him, at least he could have shown Nigerians that he is ready for anyone and anything.

I followed the debate online. YouTube. Many Atikulators and neutrals were sorely dissapointed.

m

Ok

I think the OP is right. Atiku wanted to attack Buhari at the debate and use him to shine, other candidates will do the same. Seeing that Buhari didn't attend, he (Atiku) will definitely be the punching bag. Other candidates will make him the EBA. Guyman used his brain and dodged a bullet.

It's a win win situation for Buhari and the APC though. If Atiku had participated in the debate, his image will be dented. By not participating, some would-be voters of his were disappointed in him for not proving to the nation that's he's the best man for the job. That took away the limelight on Buhari's absence.

Politics is indeed a brain game. You plan more, do more, and talk less. Most of the top guys supporting Atiku are noisemakers without electoral value. After all the noise PDP members like Reno, FFK, and even Atiku himself made about the debate, they ended up not debating. Isn't that funny?

Shawnnn01:
Chronic foolishness of Igbo reasoning

You have cobwebs in your skull not a brain...

ATIIIIKUUUUU??

I never knew Atiku was proud until he absented himself at the organized debate .Even his excuse is non sequitur.

The usual pile of rubbish from PDP clowns. This is just another failed attempt at damage control. Atiku has been contesting for president since 1991, he had never for once participated in any presidential debate. He contested for president in 2007 against Buhari and Yar'adua. While Buhari faced Pat Utomi during that year's debate, Atiku failed to show up. In 2011, Buhari faced Ribadu and Shekarau in an open debate despite the fact that his major contender and the man with the crown Goodluck Jonathan refused to show up.

Buhari had attended his fair share of debate, Atiku should attend his own and stop looking for silly excuses all over the place. He doesn't need Buhari's presence to attend debate. He should debate other contenders or shut the fvck up.

supported by Movic..

And even some APC fools were arguing that Jonathan didn't attend the Presidential debate in 2011, is it not shameful that people that promised change are now trying so hard to do worst of the things they accused the last government of

If Nigerians fail to vote out Buhari come 16th February, that man will bury Nigeria alive, what a wicked arrogant, divisive tribalist

Ops, thank you, well said.

Atiku not debating is a no brainier. There's nothing to debate if the person you are trying to wrestle power from is nowhere to be found.

My major concern is what were the other candidates doing there really?

Did they think the event was a talk show? Were they thinking it's a pulpit where you preach the gospel?

I expected all of them to have staged a walk out immediately they noticed that Buhari had absconded.

But then, they are mere distractions anyway.

We know we have two options, Failure and Hope; Buhari and Atiku.

chinelo009:
why is atiku avoiding the debate.hahaha

And Buhari did not avoid it zombie.

Hmmn.

Atiku was very strategic. He understood who his real opponent is. Atiku is always steps ahead.

Abeg make una forget this debate of a thing, na who cook jollof rice this afternoon make him give me small chop, I never chop pepper since Thursday and mouth don dey do me wan kind