Peter Obi standing 2nd from left explaining to participants during the Arise Town Hall Meeting on Sunday while Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (left) who stood in for Atiku Abubakar; Ex-Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Mr Kola Abiola wait for their turn
By NewsBits
The absence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Sunday evening’s Town Hall meeting series organised for candidates gunning for the presidency has sparked outrage.
The event was organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with Arise Television. While Atiku asked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his running mate, to stand in for him, Tinubu had no representative at the event.
But there was a mild drama when some youths kicked against the presence of Okowa and insisted that only presidential candidates should be given the floor.
“We want only Presidential Candidates here,” they shouted on top of their voices as they booed the Delta State governor. Maintaining his calm, Okowa reached out to the audience, saying the presidential ticket is one, but the aggrieved youth thundered, “No!”
However, normalcy was later restored, and the programme kicked off behind schedule.
A former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP); Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Kola Abiola of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) are the only presidential candidates at the town hall.
The consensus among most viewres of the programme was that Obi carried the day. This is not the first time Tinubu and Atiku would be absent at events meant for presidential candidates. In August, Shettima stood in for Tinubu at the NBA Annual General conference at Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos state.
In September, Shettima had represented Tinubu at the National Peace Accord. In October, Shettima represented Tinubu at an event organised by Women Radio 91.7 for major presidential candidates at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja. Atiku was also not at the Women Radio event.
