Former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi on Tuesday said presidential candidates who find excuses to dodge debates are not fit to be elected President of Nigeria.
Utomi, a Labour Party leader, who stated at his Victoria Island office in Lagos in reaction to the conspicuous absence of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kassim Shettima at presidential debate organised by Arise Television and the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, in partnership with Vanguard Newspapers, Premium Times, Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, and Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ.
Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, and Chief Kola Abiola of the People’s Redemption Party, PRP-attended the meeting.
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The People’s Democratic Party, PDP flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is out of the country, was represented by his running mate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
Addressing Big Tent members, Utomi said such presidential candidates dodged debates because they fear they are not fit for the task or are unwilling to make commitments that can be used to hold them accountable.
According to him, there is a need to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify presidential candidates who refuse to partake in debates.
He further said this has made many Nigerians lose interest in Nigeria’s democracy as an accountable process of government of the people, for the people and by the people.
This declining interest, he adduced, is seen in lower voter turnout from 1999 to 2019 and Afrobarometer survey results through the years showing an inclination to a disconnected state in which state capture has become the motive force of politics and fascism seems on the ascendancy.
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Utomi regretted that rather than celebrate the upsurge in voting behavoiur many traditional politicians are raising primordial sentiments to divide the people and turn back the hands of the clock of democracy.
Continuing on the structure of the Big Tent, Utomi who is chairman of the NCFront, convener of the Big Tent and a leader of the Labour Party said the main structures of the BIG TENT campaign include the collegiate leadership council, its apex executive body which is chaired by the convener, The Big Tent integrated Campaign Council, which is the congress of members setting the course of the Third Force support in this instance for the Labour candidate, Peter Obi and the Policy Review and the Future View Team.
Utomi said a network of 43 spokespersons to give local flavour to every campaign statement and issue is also a part of the structures in addition to grassroots fire teams for every polling station in the country. He praised the army of volunteers committed to taking back Nigeria.