The Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG), on Sunday in Abuja, said one of its biggest challenges is the refusal of major presidential candidates to participate in the debates.
Mr John Ugbe, its Chairman, said this at the opening of the national presidential debate, organised by the group in collaboration with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), some media organisations, the Transition Monitoring Group and some Civil Society Organisations as well as some foreign partners.
Ugbe said such behaviour not only undermined the democratic process, but also denied the public the opportunity to hear from the candidate and make an informed electoral decision.
He added that the development sends a message that such candidates are not willing to engage with the public, to listen to their concerns, or to be held accountable for their actions.