25th March, 2011
The Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) has denied making questions in the forthcoming debate available to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The debate, according to the group, had been scheduled for between 28 and 30 March.
But yesterday, three major contenders, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Shekarau and Nuhu Ribadu pulled out of the debate for several reasons bordering on President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo’s refusal to honour the NN24 debate.
They also expressed doubt over the President’s alleged romance with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), stressing that he may have been given the questions to adequately get himself prepared as he had earlier demanded for questions prior to the previous debate by NN24.
In its reaction, NEDG, this morning, said the debate was going to be open, transparent and independent.
It also denied giving out the questions to President Jonathan as against the rules of the debate as expressed by the other candidates.
NEDG, in a statement signed by Aremo Taiwo Allimi of the BON, decried the impression given by the three presidential candidates that the debate group is synonymous with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), “the umbrella body of the publicly and privately owned radio and television stations in the country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, BON is not a government parastatal, but an umbrella association of all radio and television stations in Nigeria, and has pursued the collective interests of all broadcasters, at times even against the government’s position.
“Questions that will be fielded to candidates are collated from questions sourced from contributions from professional groups and private persons as well as from NEDG Website and will be only made known to even the moderators ‘on air’ during the Presidential Debates.
“The questions are normally from broad areas and candidates will be expected to proffer their positions on such issues.
“The NEDG platform therefore remains the most credible, all-inclusive and most far-reaching forum that will enable candidates present directly their policies and programmes to several millions of Nigerians at home and abroad.”
It also described NEDG as a broader coalition of broadcast and print media owners, as well as professional, civil society, women and youth organisations and that the group can never compromise its integrity.
“NEDG therefore appeals to the presidential candidates of ACN, CPC and ANPP to reconsider their decision not to participate in the debates, as they owe Nigerians a duty to explain their positions on issues, so that they could be properly evaluated with the incumbent president and presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, standing side-by-side.”
Buhari, Shekarau and Ribadu had in a joint statement yesterday afternoon described the PDP as mischievous.
According to them, there was a limit they could subject themselves to “this sheer impunity of the ruling party which they have flunked on our faces as a people in the last 12 years.
“The PDP has a record of shunning every Presidential debate since 1999.
“We are highly suspicious of the celebrated romance with the BON debate by president Jonathan’s camp which shunned the NN24 debate without an apology.
“Our principals being men of dignity with high regard for the people of Nigeria will not be part of such orchestrated charade of a D‘Banj‘s “kokolete†debate.”
—Eromosele Ebhomele