Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has agreed to participate in the presidential debate being organised by the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON). In a statement yesterday, Niboro said Jonathan had accepted the invitation by the organisers who are doing it in collaboration with the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).

The President explained that "After a thorough examination, a collective decision was taken to retain the body that had organised presidential debate since 1999 and has performed creditably well and so, no need to discard the platform and template for another."

The debate is slated for March 29 and will be broadcast live on the network service of the African Independent Television (AIT), Channels TV, Silverbird TV, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Radio Nigeria and other public and private broadcasting stations.

The statement said: "President Jonathan looks forward to seizing the opportunity of the debate to further present his case for the renewal of his mandate to Nigerian voters."

Orikinla:

The other presidential aspirants should not snub GEJ.

mbatuku1:

I do not think debating skills=competency.

Not all of us are born good public speakers, though every public figure should strive to.

drills:

may politics not deter our sense of reasoning. NN24 is not know
n by Nigerians why should they be d one to conduct presidential debates for Nigerians. That is why DStv subscriptn would always be on d rise. Since we luv any made outside Nigeria.

Bensonite:

If President Goodluck made a grievous blunder by not attending the debate organised by NN24, would the same aspirants singing the songs of change do same. For once can't they prove to Nigerians they are different by not doing what they claim GEJ did?. Simply put pride and fear engulfs them all. After exposing their inexperience in governance in last week's debate certainly they opted out with excuses. The BON debate has a national coverage and should have given them opportunity to show what they have. Fashola showed his expertise yesterday and is already getting the credit.

Nigerians will always find good reasons to do bad things. Instead of saying they are afraid of debate (after fooolishly letting Shekarau, an OND holder lecture them at NN24), they now say, "if GEJ could chicken out, we too can chicken out". It reminds of the president of NANF telling Brila FM " . . .if NFF could abuse court orders and nothing happened, we too (NANF), we are going to abuse court orders and see what will happen".

Donmeca:

My exact point when I said;
Our leaders shud learn when to swallow their pride for d benefit of the nation called Nigeria. Two wrongs can never make a right.

Orikinla:

The other presidential aspirants should not snub GEJ.