The Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Monday Okpebholo and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Dr Asue Ighodalo were on Sunday absent at the debate organized by the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) while the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, his Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate, Patience Ndidi-Key and the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) Derek Izedonmwen were present.
Akpata condemned in strong terms the no show of the other candidates just as the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG), while condemning the development called on Nigerians to insist that those aspiring to govern them must be made to be accountable to them.
In his speech, Akpata described the failure of the APC and PDP candidates to honour the invitation to the debate as an outright disregard not only to the NUJ and BON but Edo people, urging residents to call out the candidates and use their votes to do justice to them at the poll.
Akpata, who claimed the two candidates hoped on violence and manipulations to win the governorship election and that that is why they did not show up, also charged media organisations and executives to condemn the action by the two candidates in their editorials, writing, among others.
He wondered why a candidate should intend to govern a state without coming to tell the people what he has for them, saying, “Asue Ighodalo comes from the private sector like I do, but if I may ask, as chairman of board of several companies, did he employ any intending employee without an interview? This is simple logic.
“But because they intend to win elections through violence and manipulation and not telling the people what they have for them, they feel there is no need for coming out to tell Edo people why they should vote for them. This act must stop.
“I will implore the media to condemn this. I expect to see headlines from tomorrow condemning this total disrespect for Edo people.”
