Peter Obi vows never to attend debate where Tinubu, Atiku are absent

By Adeleye Kunle

The Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has vowed never to attend debates if his counterparts from the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, do not show up.

Obi said he would back out of any debate where presidential candidates send surrogates or running mates, even at the last minute.

He disclosed this through the LP’s Presidential Campaign Director General, Doyin Okupe.

Addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, Okupe said, “Yesterday’s event (Arise TV Presidential Town Hall meeting) was clearly for Presidential candidates, not Vice Presidential candidates.

“The APC did not turn up and did not send a representative, I respect that. We will no longer be part of any Presidential debate where surrogates are sent to represent the candidate.

“We are aware that over 85 percent of Nigerians who tune in to listen to these debates listen to the voice of our candidate, Peter Obi.”

Tinubu and Atiku were absent from the Arise TV Town Hall meeting for presidential candidates in Abuja on Sunday.

While Tinubu failed to send a representative, Atiku sent his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to stand in for him