The Nigerian Election Debate Group, NEDG, and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, have said the Presidential debate ahead of the 2019 elections will be limited to only five presidential candidates.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of NEDG, Edidi Emesiri, in a statement on Tuesday where he listed the chosen debaters to include the candidates of: All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari; Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Oby Ezekwesili; Young Progressives Party, Kingsley Moghalu and Alliance for New Nigeria, Fela Durotoye.
No reason was given for the choice of candidates to participate in the debate.
The statement read, “The Nigeria Elections Debate Group and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, after its meeting today (Tuesday) in Abuja, have released the names of parties that will be participating in the 2019 vice presidential and presidential debates.
“The parties in alphabetical order are: ACPN, ANN, APC, PDP and YPP.
“The Vice Presidential debate will hold from 7pm at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Friday the 14th of December 2018, while the presidential debate will hold at the same venue on Saturday January 19, 2019.
“The debates will be transmitted live on all BON member stations and its affiliates, as well as live streaming on all social media platforms.”
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The Chairman of the NEDG and BON, John Momoh, had earlier said that the debate would focus on the nation’s economy, electricity, job creation, healthcare, education and security among others, insisting that Nigeria would be strong when elected leaders were transparent, adding that such openness must start long before election.
He was quoted as saying, “Our nation is strongest when our elected leaders are transparent, accessible and accountable to its citizens explaining their decisions and answering tough questions. That standard of openness must start long before election day.
“It is for this reason that the Nigerian Election Debate Group and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria are organising a vice presidential debate on December 14, 2018 and a presidential debate on January 19, 2019.”
