Candidates in the forthcoming presidential election yesterday protested against the decision of the flag-bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, to send a representative at a state of the nation dialogue that was convened by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.
Tinubu, who was absent at the event, briefed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr. Hassan Liman, to speak on his behalf.
Liman, SAN, who is a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, had after all the other presidential candidates took their seats to speak on how they intend to tackle the current security, economic and political challenges facing the nation, mounted the stage to stand in place of the APC candidate.
His action however drew the irk of the other candidates, especially that of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, Mr. Daniel Nwanyanwu, who maintained that it was wrong to allow a non presidential candidate to speak at the forum.
“I thank the NBA for this invitation, but I believe that the intendment was not for any presidential candidate to and any one to come and represent him to speak with other presidential candidates.
“I cancelled all my appointments to be here. I don’t think that it will be right for us to have a placeholder for anyone. Nigeria is no t growing simply because we are not obeying rules. You have a right to come or not to come.
When he was called to speak, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, equally took a swipe at the APC flag- bearer over his absence at the dialogue session.
He said: “You can see that those of us that are present here.”
Vanguard