Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he will not participate in any presidential debate ahead of the 2027 general elections unless President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress take part.
Atiku’s position was contained in a statement issued by his official spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, who said presidential debates should provide an opportunity for candidates of both the ruling party and the opposition to present their policies to Nigerians.
According to Okonkwo, the current practice of organising debates mainly among opposition candidates is unacceptable, arguing that it could allow the ruling party to avoid direct scrutiny.
“The situation in Nigeria today in which presidential debates are organised among the opposition parties only is therefore untenable,” he said.
Okonkwo alleged that the APC-led administration was using such arrangements to create divisions among opposition parties while shielding itself from scrutiny by Nigerians.
He said Atiku, who he described as the leader of the coalition of opposition parties and leaders, had therefore decided to make his participation in any presidential debate conditional on the presence of President Tinubu and the APC.
“HE Atiku Abubakar, as the leader of the coalition of opposition parties and leaders, is left with no other choice than to make his appearance in any presidential debates conditional on the participation of President Bola Tinubu and the APC,” Okonkwo stated.
The former vice president, however, said he remained willing to engage Nigerians through other platforms, including interviews, town hall meetings and press conferences.
“HE Atiku Abubakar is willing to engage the Nigerian people through interviews, townhall meetings, press conferences, and any other forum of interaction with the people but will not participate in any arrangement that will pit the opposition against itself and give undue advantage to APC,” the statement added.
Atiku also challenged President Tinubu to participate in a national presidential debate ahead of the 2027 election.
According to Okonkwo, such a debate would enable the ruling party and opposition candidates to explain their policies and how they intend to implement them, allowing Nigerians to make an informed decision at the polls.
“HE Atiku Abubakar, therefore, challenges President Bola Tinubu to a national presidential debate which will provide an opportunity for both the ruling party and the opposition parties to address Nigerians on their policies and ways to achieve those policies so that Nigerians can make an informed choice for the 2027 elections,” he said.
The statement was signed by Kenneth Okonkwo, Official Spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar.
