Why Atiku Did Not Attend Presidential Debate – Okowa

The Vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has revealed why the presidential candidate of his party, Atiku Abubakar was absent at the town hall series billed for Sunday.

Naija News earlier reported that the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with Arise Television, organised the debate which is expected to be attended by the four leading candidates.

The debate took place at 7 pm on Sunday at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The first part of the series focusing on security was expected for have the four major presidential candidates: Atiku Abubakar (PDP); Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC); Rabiu Kwankwaso (NNPP) and Peter Obi (Labour Party) in attendance, but only Kwankwaso and Obi were in attendance, while Governor Okowa represented Atiku Abubakar and Tinubu was absent. Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, Kola Abiola was also in attendance.

After being asked not to speak on Atiku’s behalf by the audience, Governor Okowa explained that Atiku duly received the invite and intimated the organizers of him being outside the country.

The PDP chieftain said the former vice-president was given permission to send representation.

“I’m very much aware that there was a communication to him (Atiku) and he’s outside the country. We duly obtained the permission of the organizers of this programme for him to be represented.

“It’s a town hall meeting, and that person was duly given. I think that should solve the problem of the agitations going on. When it is time for debate we’ll get into debate,” Okowa said.