Nigerians Line Up 6,000 Questions For Presidential Debates --NEDG

General Secretary, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Isaac Ighure, on
Friday said Nigerians had "responded positively" by sending in 6,000
questions for the presidential debates, organised by the Nigeria
Election Debate Group.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday, Ighure said the questions would be
considered and harmonised by the Questions Harmanisation Committee of
the NEDG.

He said the group had, however, forwarded all the thematic areas that
questions might be drawn from to all participating political parties
to help them prepare for the debates.

Meanwhile, the NEDG has said no party or group had written to say it
would not participate in the election debates.

Founding Chairman/Consultant of the NEDG, Chief Taiwo Alimi, said this
in an interview with newsmen after a meeting in Abuja on Friday,
preparatory to the conduct of the debate.

He said the NEDG had the acknowledgement copies of reminders sent out on Friday.

He assured stakeholders that the body still remained very credible and
non-partisan.

"So far, all the political parties are attending the debate beginning
from Sunday; there is no party that has written to the NEDG saying it
is not going to take part.

"Just earlier today, our secretariat sent out reminders to all the
participating political parties and they all signed that they received
our letter. Not one is saying it will not come, all the parties will
attend", he said.

He explained that the NEDG was made up of Nigeria Guild of Editors,
National Alliance for Credible Elections in Nigeria, Association of
Young Professionals, and National Council of Women Societies.

He also named the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, made up of
all private and government-owned media houses in Nigeria.

Alimi added, "Therefore, given the composition of the NEDG since 2003,
it is an organisation with integrity, with trust, with competence and
with experience.

"It remains the largest platform for debate in Nigeria and Africa.
Therefore, there is no such thing about being government owned.

"All the privately-owned media houses are part of the NEDG".

He emphasised that the NEDG was the greatest platform for those who
want to let Nigerians know what they would do, how they would do it.

Ighure explained that the meeting was to fine-tune arrangements for a
hitch-free conduct of the election debates.
--(NAN)