2023: Tinubu avoiding debate, I’ll wear ‘BAT cap’ if he honours one – Dele Farotimi

Dele Farotimi, a member of the Labour Party, LP, Presidential Campaign Council, says Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, has chosen to remain evasive and dodgy about submitting himself to debates outside his control.

 

Farotimi gave the assertion on Thursday morning while fielding questions on Arise TV’s morning show.

 

He said that his party has discovered that whenever Mr Peter Obi has had to submit himself to debates, it is either Kashim Shettima coming on behalf of the APC campaign or Governor Ifeanyi Okowa coming around for Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

 

“We have an electoral process that has also incorporated debates, town meetings, and interactions with the public, at least with the critical members of the public, since not every one of the 200 million Nigerians would fit into these stadiums where they have these jamborees.

 

“The expectation is that the likes of you can ask critical questions and will have the opportunity to ask these questions of the presidential candidates.

 

“At least there are four leading candidates who are expected to submit themselves to this process, but a particular candidate in the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been particularly evasive and dodgy about submitting himself to any sort of interrogation that is outside his control.

 

“We have had the occasion to jokingly demand that he should come and submit himself to the Arise TV studio, that I will wear his cap (the BAT cap) for as long as this season lasts if he would dare. But the gentleman has continued to evade this.

 

“And what we have discovered is that whenever his excellency Mr Peter obi has had the occasion to submit himself to this debate, it is almost like it is either Shettima is coming on behalf of the APC campaign or, as we had in the last one in the Arise town hall meeting, you had Governor Okowa who came around,” he said.