Against the backdrop of its decision to stay out of presidential debates, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), has announced the commencement off town hall meetings, as a deliberate strategy of the campaign ahead of the February 14 presidential poll during which General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will interact and explain directly to citizens the policy thrust of their envisaged administration and how the set objectives will be achieved.
The APCPCO said in a statement in Abuja that the town hall meetings kicked off in Lagos on Monday with a robust interaction between Buhari/Osibanjo and the Organised Private Sector.
The statement signed by Mallam Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign said that the party was compelled to chart this course because of the compelling need to have a person-to-person interactive sessions during which pertinent questions will be posed to the candidates and responses provided.
“Our campaign decided to chart this path because we cannot afford to shy away from the more pressing urgency to have one-on-one interactions with Nigerians through town hall meetings,” Shehu said.
The statement reads: “The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation wishes to announce the commencement of town hall meetings ahead of the February 14 presidential election.
“Due to the more pressing urgency to have an open interaction with Nigerians, the campaign will be organising town hall meetings in different parts of the country.
“The town hall meetings kicked off today (Monday) in Lagos with a public interaction between the presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, his running mate Professor Yemi Osinbajo and representatives of Organised Private Sector.
“On Tuesday, the town hall meeting will hold in Kano with traders and market associations. Thereafter, the meeting will hold in Benin with labour and civil society leaders.
“The focus of the town hall meeting will then shift to Ibadan where students and youth groups will be engaging General Buhari and Professor Osinbajo, while Enugu and Port Harcourt will follow suit.
“The direction the that the campaign will be moving in the countdown to the election day is to have as many as possible person-to-person interactive sessions for Nigerians to hear directly from the presidential candidate and his running mate,” Shehu said.
Buhari’s Contempt For Debates And Their Organisers Is Despicable, Says PDP PCO
Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) has condemned the contempt the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, has for Nigerians by his refusal to participate in live television debates with President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Campaign Organisation, in a statement by its spokesperson, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said the decision by General Buhari to shun another debate organised by the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Channels Television was despicable and has called on Nigerians to ensure the rejection of Buhari at the poll as a just recompense for his action.
According to the PDPPCO, “We have been informed that General Buhari and the APC have decided not to participate in the NPAN-CHANNELS Television-organised debate after they had earlier agreed to take part in it.
“We had thought that having withdrawn from participating in the debate organised by Broadcasting Orgnaisation of Nigeria (BON), they would have availed themselves this second platform.
“Now that they have also turned their back on this, it is now very clear that General Buhari is incapable of engaging in rigorous live television debates on the issues of governance. It speaks about his intellectual laziness and his loss of touch with contemporary issues of development and statecraft.
“We would like to reiterate that the APC has something to shield about General Buhari. He has campaigned in some states of the federation attacking President Jonathan’s handling of insurgency, corruption and economy. Now there is a platform on which both candidates can engage each other on these issues and he (Buhari) is running away.
“It is a disgrace to the APC and their candidate that they would treat everybody with contempt. The organisers of the debates are interested in promoting a robust culture of debates so that people can listen to the candidates and make informed choices on the basis of their arguments.
“We call on Nigerians to express their displeasure with General Buhari and the APC by rejecting them at the poll. This will be a just recompense for treating the Nigerian people and electorate with disdain.”
