By Chinelo Obogo
Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, has said he would not participate in ‘mixed’ debates where other presidential candidates are absent or send in representatives.
Director General of the Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, spoke at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, against the backdrop of the town hall in Abuja on Sunday where the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar were absent with Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, PDP vice presidential candidate, standing in for Atiku Abubakar.
Rabiu Kwankwaso of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and Kola Abiola of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) were the other presidential candidates present at the Arise TV town hall alongside Obi.
Okupe, however, said Obi would no longer debate with surrogates or running mates of presidential candidates and would back out of any debate, even at the last minute, should other presidential candidates fail to attend.
Deputy Director General of Obi’s PCC, Oseloka Obaze, on his twitter page, yesterday, also corroborated Okupe’s stance even as he flayed Arise TV for breaking its own ground rules for the presidential candidates.
“Yesterday, at the presidential Town Hall, Arise TV management broke their own ground rules and shifted the goal posts in the middle of the game. A presidential town hall or debate means exactly that in letter and spirit. Henceforth, Labour Party’s presidential candidate will not participate in mixed debates,” Oseloka said.