Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to a national presidential debate ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku also said he would not participate in any presidential debate where Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are absent.
His position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo.
According to Okonkwo, it is inappropriate for presidential debates to be organised among opposition candidates while the ruling party and its candidate are excluded.
He accused the APC-led government of using such debates to pit opposition candidates against one another while avoiding public scrutiny.
“HE Atiku Abubakar, as the leader of the coalition of opposition parties and leaders, is left with no other choice than to make his appearance in any presidential debates conditional on the participation of President Bola Tinubu and the APC,” the statement said.
The former vice president challenged Tinubu to a debate that would give Nigerians an opportunity to hear directly from the leading candidates about their policies and plans for the country.
Okonkwo said such an engagement would enable Nigerians to make an informed decision ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“There is no hiding place for APC in 2027,” he added.
Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, is now seeking to challenge Tinubu under the ADC in the 2027 election.
