Labour Party threatens not to participate in future Presidential Debates

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

The Presidential Campaign Council of the Labour Party has threatens not to participate in future presidential debates set up for presidential candidates contesting the 2023 general elections.

The Director General of the Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, on Monday in Abuja, said it was ridiculous for fellow contestants of Peter Obi, LP flagbearer to shun opportunities provided for Nigerians to know their candidates ahead of the poll.

Okupe at a Press Conference in Abuja said that candidates who refuse to appear at such debates “have assumed the position of emperors and rulers, and not responsible politicians who are willing to serve and listen to the people, place their position of trust in critical jeopardy by their high horse of arrogance and non-accountability.”

He expressed dismay that any Presidential Candidate “should think that they are doing the voting public and indeed all Nigerians a favour, by appearing in person, at these scheduled programs which are a fundamental part of the election season and process.”

He added that the onus and the duty of presenting “his position, vision, policies and plans and responding to questions therefrom, is the responsibility of the presidential candidate, in first person, including the fact of being held accountable for his presentation.”

This is as it underscored that the LP candidate is prepared at any appointed time, “to engage the Nigerian people on his mission and vision for the people and country whom he seeks to lead competently and responsibly.

“It is an established fact, beyond contradiction that Mr Peter Obi is currently the leading candidate in this presidential race, and yet he does not display the baseless and arrogant disposition of some of his co-candidates.

To add insult to injury, yesterday at the Arise Tv Townhall Meeting, the Vice Presidential candidate who purported to represent his Presidential Candidate, sought to explain his presence under the obnoxious pretext that the ‘Presidency is one.’

This is a blatant lie and to say the least, a deceptive attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians.

The Joint Ticket in a presidential election, and in a substantive Presidency, is a constitutional provision for temporary or permanent substitution, where the Presidential candidate is primarily incapacitated or otherwise critically unavailable.

“This primary duty of care and response cannot be relegated, delegated or avoided, as a matter of deception or evasion, as it encompasses the right of the people to full and total knowledge of what the candidate has in stock for them.

“With every respect to the office of the Vice Presidential candidate, this is a duty reserved for the person of each and every Presidential candidate.

“We firmly and irrevocably call on the Nigerian people, in entirety, to reject any presidential candidate that habitually and deceptively treats the rights of the people to hear directly from him, with disrespect, dishonour and ignominy.

“Finally, Let us make it clear today, that these recurring acts will no longer be acceptable to the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation.

“While our Candidates Mr Peter Obi and our Vice Presidential Candidate Dr Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, are prepared at all times to engage other candidates, and the Nigerian people, in any duly scheduled debates, Town Hall meetings and any other appearances as designated and scheduled. This election season, they will only be prepared to mount the podium, with their peers in this presidential race, and not with any surrogates or diversionary delegated representation.

This stand is taken with the utmost respect for the rights and desires of Nigerians to full and direct information, and first-hand responses and presentations, necessary for the best assessment of worthiness, capacity, capability, competence, character, integrity and disposition, as required to make the right choice in these coming elections,” his statement insisted.

The APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu on Monday 22nd August 2022 sent his Vice Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima to represent him at Nigerian Bar Association Annual Bar Conference.

Again, Senator Shettima represented his Boss at an economic and general policy initiatives engagement organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry on September 13th and 14th 2022 respectively.

Similarly, in November 6, 2022, both candidates of the two major political parties shunned the First AriseTV Town Hall Meeting, in what Okupe said was in “contradiction to the understanding reached with the organisers, about allowing only presidential candidates to attend the event, the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP was allowed to represent his Presidential candidate.”

Thus, LP explained that it “is our firm conviction, that anything short of the simple, transparent and honest adherence to this basic contract of responsibility, falls short of the standards of fair contest and engagement and can only be interpreted as mischievous evasion of the desired interface with the people.”