FANI-KAYODE: JONATHAN WILL ATTEND APC ORGANIZED DEBATES

But for those that are yet to decide and perhaps for those who are leaning towards Buhari, if we have a live debate and everybody is allowed to speak his or her mind freely and fairly, I assure you that by the end of that exercise, General Buhari will be exposed for what he is and President Jonathan will be able to give the Nigerian people a glimpse of what he has to offer and also a good account of his record for the last four years.

That is why the other side is running away.  So I think at the end of the exercise, after such a debate, whether APC-organised or whether organised by anybody else, President Jonathan will come out in flying colours while General Buhari will come out a very unhappy man.

I call on the APC to organize the debate, fill the panel with friends, set the questions, give copies of the questions to their candidate before the debate and even prepare answers for him.

They can do all that and not only will we still attend but we will also floor them.  We will make any concession in order to have the opportunity to debate with Buhari and show the Nigerian people how empty and shallow he (Buhari) really is.”

We have stated our position loud and clear that our candidate is prepared to participate in any debate organised by anybody at anytime and anywhere in this country provided it is live and provided we have the opportunity to speak our mind in a free and fair manner.

It is the other side that is running away from this challenge.  One wonders why.  We have absolute confidence in the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), and indeed, in anybody else to organise the debate.

As a matter of fact, let me take this opportunity to throw the challenge to the APC and General Buhari: if it will make him feel more comfortable, let them organise the debate; let it be an APC-organised debate; let them have an APC panel; let them have questions that they will show their candidate even before we get there; we do not need to see the questions; let them give their candidate a preview of the questions; they can even have a prepared answer for their candidate to read if he finds it difficult to articulate his views and positions. We are prepared for all that.

Let them have all those advantages and tell us about what they are going to do.  As long as it is a live debate, we will be prepared to go even to that debate; and even at that point, under those circumstances, we would floor General Buhari and the president will do an admirable job by letting the Nigerian people know precisely what he stands for and he will also expose General Buhari for what he is.

So whatever the circumstances, we are rearing to go.  The challenge has been put to them and we are waiting for them to respond. Anywhere, anytime in this country, we are prepared to participate.  It is the other side that is running away.