The Obi-Datti Campaign, under the Labour Party, on Sunday said the absence of its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, at the presidential debate in Abuja was due to a technical issue with his aircraft.
Mr Diran Onifade, Head of Media, Obi-Datti Campaign Council, said this in a statement while explaining Obi’s absence at the presidential debate organised by Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) in Abuja.
According to the statement, “The Obi-Datti Campaign hereby states that our candidate, Mr Peter Obi, was unable to attend the debate programme following the advice of the technical crew of the aircraft he was travelling in.
“After an engagement in Akure, Ondo State, he meant to head for Abuja for the debate but was advised otherwise due to technical issues with the aircraft which made the Pilot decide to head for Lagos instead.
“It must be noted that in anticipation of Mr Obi’s arrival, senior members of the campaign and the party had gathered at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, venue of the programme.
“They included the Director General of the Campaign, Balogun Akin Osuntokun, Campaign Manager, Ambassador Oseloka Obaze, as well as Labour Party functionaries, including Mrs. Esther Nenadi Usman and Alhaji Audi Mohammed.”