The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Mr. Bola Tinubu, has accepted to engage his counterpart from the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi in the third edition of Arise Television debate slated for Sunday, December 4, provided the latter meets certain conditions.
Speaking through Mr. Festus Keyamo, spokesman for the APC presidential campaign council, Tinubu said he would square up Obi after the latter releases his manifesto for Nigerians to scrutinise as well as list his achievements during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
Keyamo also said Obi should disclose any political party he formed as well as those he had mentored in politics who are still with him before asking for a debate.
“Before Obi can stand shoulder to shoulder with Asiwaju to debate, he should first release a manifesto for scrutiny; then he should list his tangible achievements as Governor of Anambra State compared to the tangible achievements of Asiwaju as Governor of Lagos State.
“Then he should list those he has mentored in politics from the days of his being Governor who is still with him now; then he should tell us any political party he has either formed or partnered to form and which he still belongs to today,” he said.
Besides, he said: “Then he (Obi) should list his democratic credentials, that is, what he did to contribute to the return to democracy from military rule and what he has since done better than Asiwaju, to sustain our democracy. After all these, we shall send them one of our spokespersons to debate with him.”
Recall that Tinubu had earlier said he would not attend the third edition of the presidential town hall meeting organised by the television station in collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) after he abstained from previous edition.
The third edition, which will focus on education, healthcare, poverty, and human capital, is expected to host Tinubu, Obi, presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Atiku Abubakar and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Mr. Rabiu Kwankwaso.
