Edo: Avoid candidates who boycott debate – Group

Edo Salvation Group (ESG), has called on voters in the state and the major political candidates in the forthcoming governorship election of September 21 to give the scheduled governorship debate the seriousness it deserves.

The group on Friday, in a statement said the commonwealth of the state is an issue which it expects all candidates and voters to bring to the fore in the debate scheduled to hold on September 15, 2024.

The statement issued by its national coordinator, Imman Ekpe, said it views the debate as a major test that should show to all who among the major candidates is best suited to drive the engine of the state for the next four years.

“We as a group commend the Nigeria Elections Debate Group, NEDG and the Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists for partnering to bring this debate ahead of the election of September 21.”

“We believe that this debate in whatever way it is presented offers a platform for the respective candidates to present the vision they have for the state and that is why we are enjoining the citizenry to take the debate with all seriousness.

“We as a group are urging all the three major candidates, Senator Monday Okpebhello of the APC, Mr Asue Ighodalo of the PDP and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party to take this debate with all seriousness and bring forth their arguments as to why they will want to govern the state.

“While we appeal to the candidates not to throw away this opportunity, we are also appealing to voters to scrutinize the candidates during the debate not just in oratory but also in terms of the contents of their ideas.

“Any candidate who boycotts this debate should be boycotted by voters,” the group said in the statement.