Jonathan may shun presidential
debate

By Festus Owete
March 9, 2011 03:29AM

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said
yesterday it is still weighing the option of
its candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan,
participating in a presidential debate.

The director of media and publicity of the
PCC, Abba Dabo, in a chat with journalists in
Abuja, explained that the body has not
made up its mind because of several
requests by the sponsors, some of which he
said are not vibrant.


He said over five different organisations
have approached the council for debate and
that some of them merely want only four
presidential candidates to participate.
He listed some of those that have
approached the council to include NN24,
Channels TV, and Nigerian Presidential
Debate Council (in collaboration with the
Nigeria Union of Journalists.
“Some of them said only four candidates
and we say why. What criteria are you
using? Why not all the candidates? Why do
you think this one is important and not the
other one? Again, some of them don ’t have
the reach. But we are still looking at the
format the debate will take, ” Mr. Dabo said.

The PCC spokesman also denounced the
presidential candidate of the Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC), Muhammadu
Buhari, for asking Nigerians to lynch
anyone who attempts to rig the
forthcoming elections.

Stating that though Mr. Jonathan has
already responded to Mr. Buhari ’s call, the
council spokesman said there are other
ways to check rigging without necessarily
taking people ’s lives.

Not to die for

He said the PDP will not be involved in the
rigging of election, but that the party and
the council felt the CPC candidate has no
right to incite Nigerians.
“He is contesting to be the president, most
likely he is not going to win. Nobody in this
country should incite the electorate to kill.
“That is why in contrast to what he said, the
president said his wanting to be the
president is not worth the blood of any
Nigerian. It is an attitudinal thing. We feel
very, very strongly about people of his
calibre inciting Nigerians to do that,
especially in an atmosphere like this.
“A little spark is all it takes to cause a
mayhem. It is something that had to be
brought to his attention so that it is not
repeated. I understand prominent Nigerians
have approached him to say they were
really not happy with what he is doing, ” Mr.
Dabo said.

He, however, advised Nigerians to protect
their votes after casting them, since,
according to him, the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) has made
enough arrangement to ensure that the
elections are transparent.
“Everybody should vote and make sure that
your vote is protected, but it doesn’t mean
kill. There are enough sanctions; there are
enough arrangements made by INEC to
ensure that these things are free and fair.
People who are going to win are going to
win fairly and squarely, ” Mr. Dabo stated.
Mr. Dabo also condemned the Lagos State
governor, Babatunde Fashola, for
organising counter rallies when Mr.
Jonathan and the PDP presidential campaign
train came to Lagos State.
“Look at what happened in Lagos for
instance. They knew the president was
going to come in and have his campaign,
but Fashola mobilised and had four counter
campaign rallies. I cannot understand how a
commissioner of police would allow that.
Why don ’t you wait till the president has
gone? It is just to cause confusion,” he
further said.

This Dabo must be dreaming. So anytime the President want to campaign nobody else must campaign? This is absolute Madness. Everybody have the Right to contest anywhere and at any fuc*king time he or she felt so. This man must be a Dumbo.

these are our presidents men. This is how they reason.

^^^^^
my broda these are our presidents men. This is how they reason.