Why Tinubu/Shettima shun national debates —Atiku/Okowa campaign

• Says APC candidates afraid to face Nigerians

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization has mocked the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima for running away from national debates for fear of facing probing questions from Nigerians.

The Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign council said this in a statement yesterday by one of its Spokespersons, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan yesterday in Abuja.

The presidential campaign council pointed out that in shunning public debates, both Tinubu and Shettima have shown that they have nothing to offer and that they are in the Presidential race just for personal aggrandisement and not to serve Nigerians.

The Organization noted that Asiwaju Tinubu has a record of avoiding debates and public interrogations following a mortal fear that Nigerians will put him to task on his obvious incompetence, ethnic bigotry as well as his alleged masterminding of APC’s anti-people policies that wrecked our nation in the last seven and half years. 

According to Ologb, “ The APC Presidential Candidate and his running mate cannot face debates for fears of having Tinubu’s claims of building Lagos State publicly exposed as a hoax as he cannot point to any legacy development project he achieved in the State as Governor.

“Asiwaju Tinubu is also aware that he cannot face the public to answer questions bordering on his past, particularly the question on his ancestry, the Alpha-Beta tax saga; as well as his alleged stranglehold on the business, politics and lives of Lagosians from 1999 till date.

“He is afraid of being exposed of fleecing Lagos State for eight years through multiple and harsh tax regimes with nothing to show other than rulership by brawl, breeding of touts and raising criminal street gangs, only to turn around now to attempt to claim the achievements of succeeding governors as his.

“Nigerians will recall that the APC Presidential Candidate did not attend the signing of the National Peace Accord in Abuja; he failed to turn up at Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries, he avoided the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference and shunned the televized debate organized by credible media houses and Civil Society groups in Abuja on Sunday to attend a marriage bash in the same nation’s capital.

 Is it not strange that Tinubu, who claims to be a progressive, is dodging debate, a hallmark of progressivism?

“Asiwaju Tinubu and Kashim Shettima have turned themselves into a butt of public joke over their reported inability to even defend the scripts that were written for them with spurious claims and litany of fake promises which Nigerians have appropriately tagged as ‘Renewed Hopelessness’.

“Moreover, it is apparent that the APC Presidential Candidate could not detail his running mate to represent him at the Abuja debate ostensibly because of Sen. Shettima’s abysmal performance at the last Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries outing.

“Besides, the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign is challenged to come clean on allegations in the public domain that Shettima is avoiding the debates for fear of awaiting probing questions on the alleged compromising of security as Governor of Borno State during which about 270 students were abducted in Chibok.

“Also, under his watch as Governor, there are unanswered questions over series of deadly terrorism attacks in the Borno State.

“Is Sen. Shettima afraid of explaining to Nigerians why his government did not heed to the alleged security warning and directive by the Federal Government to relocate the schoolgirls to a safer location which would have averted the abduction?

“In shunning public debates, both Tinubu and Shettima have shown that they have nothing to offer and that they are in the Presidential race just for personal aggrandisement and not to serve Nigerians.

“On the other hand, Nigerians are celebrating the dazzling performance of the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Vice-Presidential Candidate, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, in public debates, media interviews and Townhall meeting where, in readiness to take over the reign of power in May 29, 2023, they have given excellent answers to questions and proffered practicable solutions to the myriads of problems brought to our nation by the APC”, the campaign council said.