CHEKWAS OKORIE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION 2015
www.chekwasokorieforpresident.org
Press Release
For Immediate Release
NEITHER BUHARI NOR JONATHAN GETS IT
– - CHIEF DR. CHEKWAS OKORIE
CONTACT: Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji
Director General, COPCO
09097353845
Imagine Mit Romney in the middle of the 2012 presidential election in the USA coming to Lagos to give a speech at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on the way forward for the United States after refusing to debate Obama? And then conjure President Obama issuing a challenge subsequently to Romney for a debate at the same NIIA.
This scenario is analogous to what has just played out within the past week in Nigeria. One of the leading opposition candidates in Nigeria's 2015 presidential election, General Mohammadu Buhari of the APC, traveled to London recently and gave a speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. The speech, delivered on February 26, 2015, came from a compatriot who had told Nigerians that he will not participate in scheduled presidential debates organized by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG).
And to lend value to that appearance at Chatham House, the leader of the largest economy and most populous nation in Africa, appears to have challenged Buhari to a debate at the same Chatham House. President Goodluck Jonathan, speaking reportedly through an NGO named "Wind of Hope," invited Buhari to a debate in London, if that is the general's preferred debating venue.
Speaking today in Abuja, the presidential candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Chief Dr. Chekwas Okorie faulted both the appearance of Buhari at Chatham House and the reported interest of Jonathan to debate him in a foreign land. "The sovereignty of Nigeria and the supremacy of Nigerian people on Nigerian affairs must be projected and defended at all times," said Okorie. "I invite General Buhari and President Jonathan to join me at the newly rescheduled presidential debate on March 22, 2015, which is more important than appearances at Chatham House," he added.
Okorie went on to say that the Nigerian people are eager to watch their three leading presidential candidates debate one another on Nigerian soil on all of the important issues facing the nation and the people. According to Okorie, "Now that General Buhari has spoken overseas and expressed himself in progressive language that resembles the UPP's agenda, I ask him to reconsider his earlier decision not to participate in debates here at home. And given the unexpected extension of time for the elections, I invite President Jonathan to join me in more debates than the one scheduled by the NEDG."
In previous statements during the course of the 2015 presidential campaign, the UPP candidate had expressed disappointment at the decision of Buhari not to participate in debates, and had also accepted President Jonathan's invitation to Buhari to participate in any debate at a place and time of his choice.
For more information about this press release, please contact the Director General of the Chekwas Okorie Presidential Campaign Organization.
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