Read why APC aspirant shunned Ondo election debate
– Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, candidate of the APC in the November 26 governorship election, says he shunned the Ondo election debate due to tight schedule
– Akeredolu said he was tucked in the deep riverine communities of Ilaje local government for his grass root rally as at the time the debate was on-going
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 26 governorship election, has explained why he shunned the Ondo decide governorship debate.
The debate organised by Channels Television was held in Akure, the Ondo state capital, on Monday, November 21.
Akeredolu shuns Ondo election debate just like how President Buhari did in the presidential election debate
But in a statement by the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, and sign by the secretary, communications, Kunle Adebayo, the APC candidate could not attend the debate due to tight campaign schedules in the days leading to election day, Leadership reports.
The statement reads: “Akeredolu Campaign Platform (ACP) regrets the inability of our candidate Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN to attend today’s (yesterday) governorship debate organized by Channels Television.
“It is unfortunate that the debate is coming at a time when our grassroots rallies are at their peaks.
“As we write this, Akeredolu is tucked in the deep riverine communities of Ilaje local government, most of which have no access to electricity to watch Television.
“In view of the demand of this hectic campaign schedule, we therefore regret our inability to honour Channels TV’s call to debate within the remaining time.”
Voters in Ondo state will be going to the polls on Saturday, November 26 to elect a new governor that would take over from Olusegun Mimiko, whose tenure expires in February 2017.
Although 28 political parties are featuring governorship candidates for the coming election, the Ondo state governorship debate which held at the BTO Hall, Ilesa Road Akure, had in attendance the top governorship candidates.
The candidates were Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy; Jimoh Ibrahim of the Peoples Democratic Party and Olu Agunloye of the Social Democratic Party. Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress was absent.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari also shunned the NPAN-CHANNELS Television-organized debate last year even after he had earlier agreed to take part in it.
Many had thought that having withdrawn from participating in the debate organised by Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) earlier in the year, Buhari would have availed himself the second platform, but he was surprisingly absent.
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