By Udo Samuel

If 2023 presidential candidates, Alhaji  Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Bola Tinubu, Mr Peter Obi and Alhaji Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso accept the invitation extended to them by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), they will participate in a live television debate to discuss Nigeria and market their manifestos ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria.

NewsOrient learnt that electorates expressed eagerness to watch a live television debate of the leading 2023 Presidential Candidates.

“That will be great. I will leave anything I am doing to hear the presidential candidates discuss, in a live television, the challenges of Nigeria and how they individually plan to resolve it,”   Iyom Odinachi Uzoma told NewsOrient.

Comrade Rotimi Adekunle in his response said “if these candidates will accept to participate in a debate organised by an objective and credible body, it will help remove misconceptions that are creating fears in the hearts of electorates and all Nigerians. I welcome such an initiative.”

We however learnt that CDD extended the invitations only to  four candidates, considered as the leading candidates, to speak “on their plans for the country.”

According to a report available to NewsOrient, the candidates invited to the town hall organised by the CDD in collaboration with Arise Television are Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress); Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party; Peter Obi (Labour Party) and Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso (New Nigeria Peoples Party).

A statement issued on Sunday by the Director of the CDD, Idayat Hassan, said the first of these sessions would take place today, November 6 and would air on Arise TV and on its YouTube and social media channels.

She said “the CDD, ahead of the 2023 elections, identified the need to ensure citizens heard from the presidential candidates.

“This follows CDD’s constant campaign to ensure that the parties and candidates conduct issue-based campaigns.

“Nigerians need to hear how their future leaders plan to address the rising level of insecurity, considerable economic challenges and the impact of foreign affairs in domestic considerations.

“This has informed our engagements around the elections, from providing fact-checking support and working with partners to provide analyses on the election security terrain,” Hassan stated.

Source: www.newsorientng.com

Photo Credit: Tribuneonline