Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP ) calls on the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG); to consider as a matter of urgent national importance to host a debate between Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Professor Charles Soludo.
We are making this request without being immodest because of the following reasons:-
1. We rate election as a process, this being the case, the debate of both major actors in the management of our economy in the past decade, will in no doubt assist the electorate in making proper decision, more than the promises of all manner of candidates, some contenders, and some pretenders.
2. Since the main challenger, General Muhammadu Buhari has declined to attend; the Okonjo-Iweala and Soludo debate will conveniently fill the void and make the money and energy spent worthwhile.
3. For us the Okonjo-Iweala and Soludo debate is more important than the debate of the coterie of presidential candidates, as it will illuminate on the true status of our economy, an economy that inspite of unprecedented oil revenue of the last decade is in comatose.
We cannot swipe away the invectives of the worst Central Bank Governor and rusty economist; muds splashed by both of them, nor can we deny the fact that Nigeria is broke and our dear Naira has crashed.
No sane country can afford to miss this golden opportunity of verifying the source of the pauperization of its citizenry; especially when the two are renowned economists, of one tribe and one religion, of which no one will input a sectarian or ethnic motive.
Finally, whereas we sympathize with the organizers, they should take solace on the truism that the record we have, has it that the victors in the 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo versus Chief Olu Falea -2003, Chief Obasanjo versus General Muhammadu Buhari -2007, Umaru Musa Yaradua versus Buhari and 2011, Dr Goodluck Jonathan versus Buhari presidential elections debate, the winner never attended major election debate organized by NEDG and NN4.
Mr Osita Okechukwu National Publicity Secretary CNPP
Comments