A former Minister of Water Resources and member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mukhtar Shagari has slammed the action of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu during his recent appearance at the Chatham House in London, UK.
Shagari said the decision of Tinubu not to answer some of the questions directed at him during the media engagement at Chatham House is totally unacceptable.
The PDP chieftain and former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State added that Nigerians want to hear the candidates directly.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Shagari said delegating people to answer questions during the Chatham event as Tinubu did is simply an insult to Nigerians.
He added that Nigerians should not give their votes to someone who is not ready to answer questions.
In his words, “Chatham House is not a place where you go with a team. Chatham House is a place that you go and tell the whole world and the people of your country what you intend to do. Chatham House is a place where you are prepared to answer hard questions. Chatham House is not a place where you go with a team of people and when questions are asked you delegate some people to answer them. You are the candidate and it’s you that will answer them.
“I don’t believe in that approach. It’s an insult to Nigerians. As far as I am concerned, Tinubu has not said anything. You outsourced the answers from the [people you went there with]. Nigerians want to hear from their presidential candidates. Nigerians want to hear the solutions you have to insecurity, the economy and infrastructure and so many problems that are bedeviling Nigeria today.
“You don’t go to a debate, you don’t go to where you are applying for a job and go with your brother and when questions are asked you said your brother will answer it. Who will employ you by doing that?
“Nigerians now understand that Atiku Abubakar who has been consistent in attending every forum to answer questions, who has given journalists the opportunity to ask him questions. Nigerians have seen him at so many different places telling them what he intends to do.
“In 2023, on February 25, Nigerians will answer that question and they know whom they should vote for. You cannot vote for somebody who is not prepared to answer questions.”
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