Unless urgent correction is done, presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) Engr. Yusuf Y. Sani, has said he will be approaching the court of law to stop the 2019 presidential debate, even has he is challenging his exclusion.
The presidential candidate also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reject invitation to participate in the debate as organised by Broadcasting Commission of Nigeria (BON).
Recall that only five political party were given opportunity to be party of the recent Vice Presidential debate which took place recently.
But speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, after paying a condolence visit on the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who lost his son (Chike Clark) at the weekend, Engr. Sani said Nigerians should condemn in strong terms the exclusion of his party from the debate.
“It is really a very sad thing in this country that a very strong and popular party like ADP was sidelined in such debate. In this country people will take Nigerians for granted and be so bold that we don’t mean anything, that Nigerians don’t matter.
“Nigerians deserve to hear from everybody. Nigerians deserve to choose whoever they want. And if we are muscled out at this point in time that we are approaching the most important election in the history of this country, I think it is very sad, and I ask the president to reject the invitation to be party of that debate because if he does that would have portrayed him in a very bad light and history will not be kind to him because this is a step to deliberately rig the election even before the election takes place.
“So, we are calling on Nigerians to condemn, in the strongest terms this attempt to rig 2019 election before the election even takes place. We want to use this opportunity of visiting one of the Elder Statesmen (Clark) who has always come out strongly to defend the democracy he fought for, to hear our view and condemn actions taken so far by organising a debate for Vice President of only five political parties.
“One of them is not even known. I’m not saying that party should not be included in the debate but what I’m saying is that everybody should be given opportunity to talk to Nigerians. The air space belong to all Nigerians. It does not belong to APC or PDP alone. Even the law of the Broadcasting Commission says that all the parties should be given equal opportunity.
“INEC should also come forward to defend democracy. It is an affront, it is a day light robbery on democracy and if nothing is done we will go to court to stop that debate because it doesn’t represent the interest of this country.”
Speaking earlier, the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who was in mourning mood, prayed for a peaceful election in 2019.
“We are praying that whoever wins this coming election will be our president, no matter wherever he comes from. We have always believed in one thing that the constitution we have today, if that constitution is not changed all will not be well.
“So we need a proper restructuring of this country where everybody will be equal, where appointment will not belong to one particular set of people while others are just waiting in vain. Our children will never forgive us.
While making reference to India, Chief Clarck said the elctoral body control the security during election. “If the policemen will be selected, it will be between the Inspector General and the electoral body. Those policemen will be well trained and put under the control of electoral body.”
