THE EXCLUSION OF AAC FROM THE 2019 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE.

John Momoh, the chairman of BON, has been knocked off as a hiccup factor in the court proceeding to determine the inclusion of African Action Congress and Omoyele Sowore in the upcoming presidential debate.

In a press release after the court session today, January 8, 2019, the legal adviser of African Action Congress, Inibehe Effiong, has stated that there is no reason to worry and that the party has achieved a remarkable feat with the urgency with which the court has treated the case. This is owned to the fact that the case in question has limited timeline. He is currently tasked to follow up on the reassignment of the case by the Chief Judge, Abuja.

Prequel to the court proceeding, Nigerians and some other candidates have provoked shifting responses from the debate organizers, and yet, we are to be included for the upcoming debate. Different polls results, including the online polls by NEDG and BON, placed AAC at one of the top three positions. This established the growing interest of Nigerians for an alternative voice and a basis to consider the AAC exclusion from the debate as malicious and/or an attempt to stifle robust political engagement in Nigeria.

We are hopeful to get justice before the date of the debate which is January 19, 2019. We also hope that the judiciary ceased this opportunity to set an important precedent to strengthen democracy.