Atiku Conditions 2027 Presidential Debate Participation On Tinubu, APC Attendance.

 

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 Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are also represented.

Atiku’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, August 25, by his official spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo.

According to Okonkwo, presidential debates should provide a platform for both the ruling party and opposition candidates to present their policies and programmes to Nigerians.

He criticised the practice of organising debates involving only opposition candidates, describing it as unacceptable and alleging that such arrangements allow the APC-led administration to avoid scrutiny while opposition parties attack one another.

Okonkwo said Atiku, as a leading figure in the opposition coalition, had therefore made his participation in any presidential debate conditional on the involvement of President Tinubu and the APC.

The statement said Atiku remains willing to engage Nigerians through interviews, town hall meetings, press conferences and other public forums but would not take part in any debate designed solely to pit opposition candidates against one another.

“Atiku Abubakar, therefore, challenges President Bola Tinubu to a national presidential debate which will provide an opportunity for both the ruling party and the opposition parties to address Nigerians on their policies and ways to achieve those policies,” the statement said.

According to the ADC candidate, such a debate would enable Nigerians to assess the competing parties and make an informed choice ahead of the 2027 presidential election.