Atiku Explains Why He Walk Out Of 2019 Presidential Debate After Reaching Venue

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate and former vice president has explained why he walk away from the venue of the presidential dabate organized by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).

BigPen Online reports that Atiku who arrived the country from the United States of America earlier in the day had said he would stay away from the debate if President Buhari fails to show up. 

True to type, the former vice president on arrival at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, where the vice-presidential debate held on Friday, December 14, 2018 exchanged pleasantries with some of presidential candidates who were at the venue and thereafter stormed out.

Already present at the venue of the debate when Atiku came in are, Oby Ezekwesili, a former Education Minister, who is the candidate of the ACPN, Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the candidate of the YPP and Fela Durotoye who is the candidate of the ANN.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari was conspicuously absent.

Atiku would later send multiple tweets on his verified Twitter handle @atiku explaining why he left the venue on absence of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I arrived the Congress Hall of the Hilton venue of the #2019Debate. This debate and the election is a referendum on the incumbent.

“We came here for a Presidential debate, not a candidacy debate, and I, Atiku Abubakar cannot challenge or question an administration where the man at the helm of the affairs of the nation is not present to defend himself or his policies. #2019Debate h

“Afterall, you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence. I do not believe in attacking a man who is NOT here to defend himself.

“As a leader and former vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, let me first apologise to all Nigerians, my fellow candidates and the moderator for the APC Presidential Candidate’s absence in this debate. His non-appearance is a slight on ALL of us and our democracy.

“With respect to my fellow candidates, Fela Durotoye, Oby Ezekwesili, Kingsley Moghalu & to moderator Mark Sugar & with apologies to Nigerians here & at home expecting an interesting debate, I regret I will not be able to go on with this debate due to President Buhari’s absence.

“I however challenge President Buhari to choose a date and time for a debate where he will be present and I will be there, hopefully with the other candidates as well.

Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Atiku Abubakar