APC: Buhari Shunned Debate to Avoid Insults, Mudslinging...

After blaming the media and organisers of the debate committee of subterfuge and bias, the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential campaign organisation has again said its candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), stayed away from the debate in order to avoid a situation where the exercise will be turned into insults, abuse and mudslinging.

The campaign Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, while reacting to the renewed challenge thrown at Buhari by President Goodluck Jonathan to face him in a debate, said yesterday that the former head of state would not like to debate with someone who “lacks the comportment of public interest with a debate.

“For us in the Buhari/ Osinbajo campaign, the decision to stay away from the debate was not one that was taken lightly. It was indeed a difficult one, considering that the promoters of the debates, important arms of the media as they, were in all probability not going to accept this for any excuse. It is for this reason that we wrote very politely to them to request that we be excused.

“Our view of their principal, Jonathan, is that he is a man who does not know what a debate or discourse is. What he knows is insults, abuse and mudslinging. He doesn’t have the frame of mind to warrant a debate.

“That’s the man who called President Olusegun Obasanjo a motor-park tout for merely criticising him. Jonathan doesn’t give a damn about public issues. Is that not what he said when he was asked whether he would declare his assets publicly? When you are in public office, you are a public property,” he said.

In the statement, he issued yesterday, the campaign spokesman said the president who is being presented for a television debate does not know the difference between stealing and corruption, adding that Jonathan goes on defending their ridiculous position at every given opportunity.

“How can you dignify a fellow who lacks the comportment of public interest with a debate? Jonathan does not have an understanding of public interest, neither does he have respect for age and the high office he occupies. If he and his team did, they would not have addressed every critic in the way they did, nor would Reuben Abati describe Buhari as having run with his tail in between his legs.

“The president and his handlers have shown a rare lack of dignity and comportment dealing with people who differ with them. All through his tenure, whenever he is criticised on issues and policy by anyone, the tradition they put in place is to attack the critic with insults. Among these critics are men and women who want to exercise their right to choose as guaranteed by the constitution.

“The amazing thing about Jonathan is that he lacks the cultural diligence to call his handlers to order whenever they aggressively go after an honest critic. His handlers seem to know just one thing – the personal interest of President Jonathan, and they too, in line with their boss’s thinking, don’t give a damn about public good and public interest.

“Our position is that we can’t debate personal interest above public interest. We have chosen to stay away from debating with Jonathan because we are not given to insults and abuse. We await their defeat in the coming election on March 28,” he said.