By Kelechi Eke

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, yesterday said Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate will no longer participate “in ‘mixed’ debates where other presidential candidates are absent or send in representatives.”

This position was given by the Director General of the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe.

He spoke at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, while reacting to the outcome of the Arise Television Town Hall in Abuja on Sunday where the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar were absent.

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the PDP Vice Presidential Candidate, stood in for Atiku Abubakar, the PDP Presidential Candidate.

But according to Okupe at the press conference, “Obi will no longer debate with surrogates or running mates of presidential candidates and would back out of any debate, even at the last minute, should other presidential candidates fail to attend.

Deputy Director General of Obi’s PCC, Oseloka Obaze, on his twitter page yesterday, corroborated Okupe’s stance.

 He also condemned Arise Television’s handling of the debate.

He said, “Yesterday, (Sunday), at the presidential Town Hall, Arise TV management broke their own ground rules and shifted the goal posts in the middle of the game. A presidential town hall or debate means exactly that in letter and spirit.

 “Henceforth, Labour Party’s presidential candidate will not participate in mixed debates,” Oseloka said.