The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the presidential candidate of Labour Party Peter Obi must provide his manifesto and track record in politics before he can debate with its presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.
Spokesman of the APC presidential campaign council Festus Keyamo stated this on Tuesday in response to the Labour Party’s challenge to Tinubu for an open debate with Obi.
The Labour Party threw the challenge following Tinubu’s absence at town hall meetings organised by the media.
Keyamo, who is also minister of state for labour and employment, added that Obi should also tell Nigerians those he has mentored in politics who are still with him today, mention any political party he has formed and then mention his contributions to the return of democracy to Nigeria after years of military rule.
He said, “They have no manifesto, so what are we debating? What documents are we comparing? He said Nigerians should depend on what is inside his brain, not on any document. So, Asiwaju will then be debating with what? Is this campaign a joke to them? Do they think this is a debating and dramatic society in school?
“Before Obi can stand shoulder to shoulder with Asiwaju to debate, he should first release a manifesto for scrutiny; then he should list his tangible achievements as governor of Anambra State compared to the tangible achievements of Asiwaju as Governor of Lagos State.
“Then he should list those he has mentored in politics from the days of his being governor who is still with him now; then he should tell us any political party he has either formed or partnered to form and which he still belongs to today.
“Then he should list his democratic credentials, that is what he did to contribute to the return to democracy from military rule and what he has since done, better than Asiwaju, to sustain our democracy.”
