By Seyi Odewale
Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Dr Asue Ighodalo, were absent at the debate organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) where the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, his Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate, Patience Ndidi-Key and the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) Derek Izedonmwen were present.
Akpata, while condemning the development jointly put together by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG), called on Nigerians to insist that those aspiring to govern them be held accountable.
In his brief speech, the LP candidate Akpata described the failure of the APC and PDP candidates to honour the invitation to debate as an outright disregard not only for the NUJ and BON but also for the Edo people.
He urged residents to call out the candidates and use their votes to do justice to them at the poll.
Akpata, who claimed the two candidates hoped on violence and manipulation to win the governorship election and that is why they did not show up, also charged media organisations and executives with condemning the action by the two candidates in their editorials and writing, among other things.
He wondered why a candidate should intend to govern a state without coming to tell the people what he had for them.
He said, “Asue Ighodalo comes from the private sector as I do, but if I may ask, as chairman of the board of several companies, did he employ any intending employee without an interview? This is simple logic.
“But because they intend to win elections through violence and manipulation and not telling the people what they have for them, they feel there is no need to come out to tell Edo people why they should vote for them. This act must stop.
“I will implore the media to condemn this. I expect to see headlines from tomorrow condemning this total disrespect for Edo people.”
For her part, PRP’s Ndidi said people are giving these two political parties undue regard, and that is why they have taken the people for granted.
The ADC candidate, Izedonwmen, said, “It’s quite unfortunate that the two political parties copied what Tinubu did in 2023, where he declined to honour the debate invite but still won the election, urging Edo people to stand against this.”
In his opening remarks, Eddie Emessiri, the Executive Secretary of NEDG, condemned the candidates’ non-appearance.
He said, “Despite all efforts by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), NEDG, and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to organise this platform, a crucial opportunity for the people of Edo State to hear directly from those seeking their votes, handlers of two of the major political party candidates called to inform us that their candidates were unavailable.
“This is disrespectful not only to this event but, more critically, to the voters. These actions are not only unreasonable but utterly unconscionable. It is a stark demonstration of the growing impunity within our political class, where candidates believe they can bypass debates and town hall meetings, deny you the information you need, and yet expect your vote. Why?”
