Arise Television, in collaboration with Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), yesterday held the second in its series of Presidential Town Hall for presidential candidates for the 2023 election.

The first in the series aired last week Sunday in Abuja with the agenda centred on two key areas: Security and economy.

On the roll call of the first series was Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was represented by his running mate and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP), Rabiu Kwankwaso of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Kola Abiola of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), who replaced Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Series II, which was held yesterday, featured presidential candidates of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Peter Umeadi and Action Democratic Party (ADP), Yabagi Sani.

Sowore, in his opening remarks, sought an apology from the organisers for allegedly excluding him from the debate last week.

He said: “I must state that last week should have been the day we should all be here, but for some reason, you decided to invite the leads within the presidential race and we think you owe us an apology for that because Nigeria should stop bringing people who have no ideas to talk to Nigerians when those who have ideas are relegated to the background. That is where we have got it wrong all these years.”

Speaking on his agenda, Sowore said: “Every government I have known always say the unity of Nigeria is sacrosanct but the truth is that Nigeria has two major problems. This is a country put together by outsiders and it’s not only Nigeria that was put together by outsiders, but our own case is peculiar.

“What is going to unite Nigeria is to solve the foundational problems and one of them is the Constitution. People must find identity in that document; they must know where they belong and how they got here. They must have a right to exit if they find it to be a bad marriage.

“You can’t force people together by creating ministries, you do it by way of justice. If truly you want to unite Nigeria, do justice to the people. I lived abroad for 20 years and there was no day I was asked whether I am an American or not. I get my check every two weeks, I get paid. I was treated better as a black person in America than I am treated in Nigeria as black person governed by a black person.”

Sani pledged to govern Nigeria by the rule of law; to tackle insecurity if elected president of the country next year. The ADP candidate also said he would discourage situations whereby states create their own security outfits out of frustrations over escalating insecurity.

Adebayo said if the policing system in Nigeria were effective, half of those in government would be in jail.

He said: “Let’s not run away from forming a government. At the federal level, there’s an assisting Constitution I’m going to swear in with on May 29. In that Constitution, it has all it takes to eliminate crime.

“And the two steps to take to eliminate crime is to eliminate crime within government. That is the hardest thing to do in Nigeria.

“One of the reasons we don’t have an efficient police system is that if we had an efficient police system, half of those who are in government will be in jail.

“So, it’s not in the interest of the government as it is today, to have effective police. But they need the police for protection. So, I will make that difference.”

KWANKWASO, yesterday, with his running mate, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, featured in first in the series of presidential town hall meeting in Abuja organised by Channels Television with support from UK Aid, Hope Action Progress for Women and Youth in Politics, Situation Room, Yiaga Africa and the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL).

At the meeting, the NNPP presidential candidate expressed an openness to restructuring, including the enactment of state police across the federation, as long as it is in accordance with the Constitutional provisions.

“If you check our blueprint, you will find that we’re very much open to restructuring, including state police. They are part of our own understanding of restructuring,” he said.

“While we believe that we will listen to the people, we will do the right thing, at the same time, we will follow due process. This is not something that the President will sit in his bedroom and announce the change of Constitution to insert the issue that affects relevant clauses in the Constitution.

“We are ready to follow due process as long as Nigerians are interested in that. But on the other hand, we believe most of these things coming up are as a result of government failure. Once everything is going well, all these things will die down.”

Kwankwaso, who is a former governor of Kano State, also promised to put an end to the allocation of security votes for the sitting president.

“For the eight years I was governor, I never took one naira on the issue of security votes and I have predecessors, who were taking N10 million in a day seven times, even up to 10 times. In fact, at a stage, we had a record of 12 times because the governor can only approve N10 million, so they would take N10 million times whatever number they want,” he said.

“The only thing that we did not publish for the eight years I was governor was the money given to security agents, but we have the record. So, security votes, in my own opinion, is a big way of stealing money because that is why I have never done it; if I have the opportunity again, there would not be anything like security votes in the presidency.

“So, we have seen cases where a lot of money is been siphoned in the name of security votes and nobody can defend it and, in my opinion, I think that should be stopped using whatever means because it’s only a good way of taking cash from the treasury.”

His running mate, Idahosa, said: “We are here to bring about the rebirth of a new Nigeria. We are coming in to do a lot. If you vote for us, we will guarantee you a better, hopeful future. My principal has the necessary experience to handle the issue of education in Nigeria. He did so much for education as Kano governor, as president, he will do more though he won’t be in a hurry to create additional tertiary institutions.”

MEANWHILE, the Nigeria Factcheckers’ Coalition (NFC) has been deployed to combat disinformation in the Arise TV presidential town hall series. As part of its civic responsibility to combat disinformation in Nigeria, the coalition conducted a live fact-checking of claims and counterclaims by presidential candidates during the town hall meeting.

Managing Editor of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Ajibola Amzat, described the town hall meetings as an important opportunity for candidates to share their thoughts with Nigerians.

“But we should not take it for granted that the information the politicians will provide is gospel. That is why the role of the Nigeria Factcheckers’ Coalition is crucial in the town hall meeting series,” he said.

On his part, Kemi Busari, the editor of Dubawa, expressed satisfaction with the contribution of the Nigerian Factcheckers’ Coalition so far.

“More and more, we are seeing politicians being careful with their statements. That goes to show how many Nigerian fact-checkers have done to enrich our democracy,” he said.

He added that the coalition is set to provide important facts and will continuously help in curbing the spread of falsehood, so as to avail citizens of accurate information needed to make political decisions.