ACE journalist and media entrepreneur, Kadaria Ahmed, has been in the eye of the storm since she hosted President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on one hand, and their main challengers, former VP Atiku Abubakar and ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, on the other, at #NG The Candidates. The salvos first started heading Kadaria’s way after the Buhari/Osinbajo interview, when she was accused of frontally taking President Buhari on, and actually told VP Osinbajo off, asking him to let the president answer the questions directed at him by himself.

Some Nigerians had then thought that she was harsh with the president who appeared to find it difficult to answer some of the questions put to him.

As a matter of fact, a transcript of some sections of the encounter indicates that the president was not quite clear about some of the questions he was required to answer. No one, however, interpreted that interview as an attempt to put the president on the spotlight or embarrass him before the nation. Indeed, the supposed lacklustre performance of the president at the interview gave PDP supporters much joy as they happily shared snippets of it to their contacts.

The interview with the duo of Atiku and Obi has, however, been a different kettle of fish. Kadaria came firing from the hips, having no holds barred as she took Atiku on, on the accusations of corruption, his stewardship as a Customs officer and his supposed conflict of interest as founder and operator of the logistics firm, Intels. Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was also taken up on his investment of state funds in his family business, while he served as a governor.

Yet, another man asking a question from the audience asked Atiku if, as an employer of labour, his company would employ any candidate who comes for an interview with the kind of verdict former president,  Olusegun Obasanjo, gave on him (Atiku) in his book.For these and many other tough questions that Kadaria confronted Atiku and Obi with, she has come under the sledgehammer of many critics who have described her performance as unprofessional and biased. She has also been accused of having worked for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the interview.

But, was Kadaria really unprofessional in that interview? I think not. I think she should rather be commended for her courage in taking up our aspiring leaders on issues which are, anyway, on the lips of many Nigerians. In asking those questions, Kadaria was only following in the footsteps of great journalists all over the world who do not shy away from taking on their subjects on any issues. This is the stuff of which great journalists are made. It is not the job of journalists to rub the ego of their subjects and ask them only questions that they wish to hear.

It is however noteworthy that while Kadaria has been severally accused of being an agent of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and an inquisitor for the hard balls she threw at the Atiku/Obi pair, it is interesting that Atiku himself appreciated her guts and her professionalism and has said if elected, he would love to work with her.

Unmoved by claims from the rumour mills that Kadaria has a relationship with the Governor of Kaduna of Kaduna State who is of the APC and was, therefore, biased against Atiku who is of the PDP, Atiku described the journalist as a great woman and a professional.

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His view, which was communicated by his wife, Jennifer Douglas via her Twitter handle, is that Kadaria’s relationship with El-Rufai is a non-issue. He was quoted by his wife as saying: “Hopefully, after we are elected, we would like to work with her and other very brilliant women … this issue is not if she was tutored or given questions to ask as being rumoured. To us, she was simply doing her job.”

Atiku went on to display great maturity and intelligence by saying that the interview was a wonderful opportunity for him and Obi to talk to Nigerians and that they are happy that more Nigerians now know that it is time to get the country out of the woods.

With these wise words, Atiku intelligently put paid to the growing criticisms of Kadaria’s traducers. The PDP candidate apparently later realized and appreciated the effort of Kadaria to keep the interview focused on his own candidature and his plans for the country other than the listing of what he perceived   to be the failings of the Buhari Government.

Certainly, Kadaria was not expected by Nigerians to be lily-livered in an interview of Atiku/Obi after her assertive questioning of Buhari/Osinbajo. Indeed, she proved her mettle with The Candidates, a seeming presidential town hall meeting co-produced by Daria Media and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), supported by the McArthur Foundation. Through these interviews, the ace journalist was able to give Nigerians first hand interaction with the two leading candidates in next week’s presidential elections, and their running mates.  As things now stand, Nigerians are now better informed about the candidates. Next Saturday February 16, is the D-Day. It is the day that will determine which way the pendulum will swing, whether it will be Atiku that will take the day or Buhari will be given a fresh four-year mandate.

In these last days of the presidential campaign, both the PDP and the APC have laid great stock by endorsements. Thus, what we have been hearing in the past few days is that of endorsement of one candidate or the other by retired army generals, and some socio-political groups such as the Afenifere and the Ohaneze. Permutations are also ongoing on which candidate is likely to win the election.

Journalists like Kadaria Ahmed and the media houses have done their best to present all the sides of the two candidates to the electorate. It is now up to individual voters to take up their voters cards and vote for their preferred candidates.

All in all, what we need is a transparent process that will produce a credible result. Nigeria is, indeed, due for the better times which the two candidates have promised. The ball is now in the court of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agencies, the electorate and the candidates. All stakeholders should play the role expected of them to ensure that the best candidate wins.