The presidential candidates of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Alliance for New Democracy (ANN), and Young Progressives Party (YPP) who were at the 2019 debate blasted the two leading candidates who shunned the programme.
The candidates Oby Ezekwesili (ACPN), Fela Durotoye (ANN) and Kingsley Moghalu (YPP) expressed their disappointment and called on Nigerians not to vote President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar of the APC and PDP respectively.
The debate was organised by Nigeria Elections Debate Group and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Ezekwesili said: “I’m not surprised they are not here. They have just simply announced their exit from the governance of our country.
“I think it is important for us to acknowledge that there is a political class that needs to fade away from our country because the idea that the will of the people will be subordinated to the whims and caprices of our politicians should be a total anomaly.
“Today, as we in this country focus on the ideas that will develop our country if the two dominant parties cared about the Nigerian people, they would come here in order to have a contest of ideas on how we would fix Nigeria.
“I must let you know that for the Nigerian people, this is a moment to make a clear judgment as to whether we are connected to the issues that matter to the Nigerian people.
“We showed up for this debate not because we are new entrants into politics but because we believe it is time for a new kind of governance in Nigeria.”
READ: Atiku state reasons for shunning presidential debate
Moghalu said that the absence of the heavyweights was a display of arrogance.
“I am not at all surprised that the leaders of the APC and the PDP have decided to turn their back on the people of Nigeria and tell them finally, they never amounted to much in their eyes.
“The reason why they are not here: one is arrogance. They believe the people of Nigeria have no voice and no choice. They believe that you cannot move away from them.
“They believe they have trapped you, they have kept you in bondage for over too long and it is now time for us to send them a message.
“The second reason why they are not here is because they cannot answer the questions. Very simple, very straight-forward.
“They belong to the old class of recycled politicians who want to come to power with a sense of entitlement.”
“The second reason why they are not here is because they cannot answer the questions. Very simple, very straight-forward. They belong to the old class of recycled politicians who want to come to power with a sense of entitlement.”
Durotoye stressed that both Buhari and Atiku have set themselves up for a fall.
“Well, it seems that the future is here. Pride always comes before a fall and every time you believe that there is no need to tell the people the things you are going to do, it means you are not there to serve them in the first place; you are going to rule over them.’’
