Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has said he will only participate in presidential debates ahead of the 2027 general elections if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are represented.
Atiku’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his official spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, who argued that presidential debates should provide an opportunity for both the ruling party and opposition parties to present their policies and programmes to Nigerians.
Okonkwo criticised the practice of organising debates involving only opposition candidates, describing such an arrangement as untenable.
He alleged that the APC-led administration was using opposition-only debates to set opposition candidates against one another while avoiding direct scrutiny from Nigerians.
According to him, political contests should ordinarily provide voters with an opportunity to hear directly from both the governing party and those seeking to replace it.
The ADC candidate has therefore challenged President Tinubu to participate in a national presidential debate ahead of the 2027 election.
Atiku said such a debate would allow the ruling party and opposition candidates to explain their policies, programmes and proposed solutions to the challenges facing the country, thereby helping Nigerians make an informed electoral choice.
Okonkwo said Atiku, whom he described as the leader of the coalition of opposition parties and leaders, had been left with no option but to make his participation in presidential debates conditional on the attendance of Tinubu and the APC.
He maintained that Atiku remains willing to engage Nigerians through interviews, town hall meetings, press conferences and other public forums, but would not participate in an arrangement that pits opposition candidates against one another while giving an advantage to the ruling party.
The development adds a fresh dimension to the emerging 2027 presidential campaign, with debates and direct engagement with voters likely to become increasingly important as the election approaches.
