Reactions trailed the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) presidential debate held yesterday, March 22.
The debate which had in attendance, the People Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Goodluck Jonathan and other presidential candidates was unfortunately ignored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
However, in a statement released by the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organization (APCPCO), the envisaged absence of the APC has been addressed.
Addressing newsmen, the media publicity director of the APC campaign team, Malam Garba Shehu alleged that the NEDG presidential debate was compromised by President Goodluck Jonathan.
This coming after a civil society group, Value and Integrity Group had alleged at a press conference on Friday, March 20, that a First Bank account opened for the NEDG had the founder of a private television network as sole signatory, even though he is not listed as one of the directors of the NEDG.
According to leaders of the Value and Integrity Group, Sina Odugbemi and Popoola Ajayi, co-ordinator and secretary respectively, “an initial deposit of N1 million was paid into the said First Bank account, and on March 28, 2011, another N20 million belonging to the NEDG was paid into the personal account of the said founder of the leading private television network.”
Reacting to this graft allegation against the NEDG, Malam Garba Shehu said the sordid details coming out of organizations of the debate would have tainted the APC candidate, General Buhari, had he presented himself to the group.
The Buhari campaign said “We at the APC Presidential Campaign got the eye-opening news of the press conference by the Value and Integrity Group accusing the Nigeria Election Debate Group, the crux of the allegation being that some members of the NEDG have been monetarily influenced.”
It added that “although the group failed to mention from what source the monies came from, we had taken a position, based on intelligence made available to us that the PDP has compromised the integrity of an unnamed few in the NEDG with huge and ridiculous sums of money.”
“And watching President Goodluck Jonathan reading from a prepared script gleefully as he answered questions in the debate confirmed our suspicion that there will be “EXPO”.
“These two scenarios: The allegation of corrupt inducements in the NEDG and the president reading from a prepared script during the debate validates our reasons for abstaining from the debate,” Shehu said.
The two most popular presidential candidates in the forthcoming elections (Gen. Buhari and President Jonathan ) failed to have a face off at the debates for the second campaign in a row. However, President Jonathan, who was obviously proud of himself at the NEDG debate, took to his Facebook page to say: “I am convinced that any one who desires to lead Nigerians must first be prepared to address issues raised by Nigerians. I also believe we must encourage a culture of debate and conversation to grow our democracy. GEJ.”
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