There is raging worry among major political stakeholders in Edo State over the refusal of the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, Asue Ighodalo and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Monday Okpebholo to honour debate organised in the state recently ahead of the Saturday’s governorship election.
Ighodalo and Okpebholo failed to show up at a governorship debate organised by the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in conjunction with the Nigeria Elections Debate Group and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria for the party flag bearers to tell the people of the state their plans if elected to govern the South South state.
Only the Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata, his Peoples Redemption Party candidate, Patience Ndidi-Key and the Action Democratic Congress, Derek Izedonmwen were present at the debate.
Speaking at the debate event, Akpata condemned in strong terms the absence of the other candidates, describing the failure of the APC and PDP candidates to honour the invitation to debate as an outright disregard not only to the NUJ and BON but Edo people.
Urging 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 manipulations to win the governorship election and that is why they did not show up, also charged media organisations and executives to condemn the action by the two candidates in their editorials, writing, among others.
He wondered why a candidate should intend to govern a state without coming to tell the people what he has for them, saying, “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.”
Also frowning at the refusal of the candidates to show up for the debate, Olugbenga Edema Campaign Organisation of the NNPP in the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State, Olugbenga Edema, berated Ighodalo and Okpebholo.
While describing the absence of PDP and APC candidates from the debate as an affront and disrespect to the electorate, Edema maintained that the action of the duo denies the people, particularly the electorate, their fundamental right to evaluate the policies and visions of those seeking to govern them.
In a statement signed and issued by the spokesperson of the campaign organisation, Oluwatosin Ayeni, it was emphasised that the refusal of the candidate to participate in the debate was a lack of respect for the voters, who are entitled to assess those seeking public office.
While urging the people of Edo State to take a stand, Edema called for the rejection of the two parties at the poll on Saturday, adding that such impunity on the electorate by the two political parties would not be tolerated in Ondo State.
Similarly, the Nigerian Elections Debate Group condemned the development and called on Nigerians to insist that those aspiring to govern them must be made accountable to them.
The Executive Secretary of NEDG, Eddie Emessiri said their non-appearance was unwarranted because ample time was given to all candidates.
