Why we will boycotte presidential debate- APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why its candidates for next month’s polls will not attend the ongoing electioneering public debates on national television and radio.
The party accused the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) and some key organisers of the programme of what it described as “unhidden bias and campaign of calumny” against its candidates.


In a statement issued yesterday by the director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), Mallam Garba Shehu, the party also said the debate powered by the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG) was fraught with fundamental errors right from the start.
According to APC, by wearing the toga of government control, especially being composed mainly of agencies and allies of the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration, it is apparent that the debates would be compromised.
Shehu said, “A salutary inspection of the composition of NEGD brings into focus the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Africa Independent Television (AIT, owned by a PDP chieftain).
“And going by the avalanche of inflammatory statements, misinformation and blatant lies being propagated by some of these media against our party and candidates contrary to the Koffi Annan-brokered Abuja Peace Accord, and the failure of these aggressors to desist and apologise, have left the APC Campaign with no option than to steer clear of any premeditated smear campaign that could be inimical to our prospective electoral success”.
He noted with dismay that most of the government-controlled media have clipped the wings of APC promotional advertisements, using flimsy excuses to justify their action.
Shehu recalled that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shutdown some telecom portals for soliciting legitimate campaign funds from members of the public for APC, a decision which he said was upturned by the court recently.
The party appealed to Nigerians not to consider the boycott of the debates by its candidates as disrespect to the Nigerian electorate or an alibi for the party to dodge public scrutiny.
The campaign spokesman added that, rather, the boycott should be viewed as an honourable right not to consent to any activity that could distract, demean, denigrate or derail the fast-moving train of the party.
The statement made available to LEADERSHIP further noted: “The APC is a party of progressive intellectuals, genuine technocrats, successful businessmen and women, and most of all eminent and courteous people of honour who would never condescend to the level of sadistic gutter propaganda, all in the name of political exigency and crass opportunism.
“Aside, elements close to sitting President Goodluck Jonathan have commissioned series of derogatory and death threat advertorials against the person, family and associates of the opposition leader, General Muhammadu Buhari, to which the APC had sent letters of complaint to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of State Security, Advertisers Practitioners of Nigeria (APCON), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the erring media that published or aired such offensive adverts or documentaries.
“None of our letters of protest has been attended to by the authorities. So whatever the incumbent President wants to do with the instrument of state to harass members of the opposition into humiliating submission would not work.
“The APC/Buhari campaign is now a people’s movement. The more they try to rubbish it, the more popular we are with the populace. We are not shadow-chasers or moonwalkers.
“The APC is concerned mainly with the lack of unity and security in Nigeria; plus the growing decimation of lives, property and territory of our great country due to preventable insurgency; the slumbering economy; decaying educational system; absence of jobs; poor public health; and the cancerous institutionalisation of corruption in our national life. You can’t fool the people all the time. Nigerians will vote out their oppressors come February 14.”

culled from Leadership newspaper