The All Progressives Congress (APC) will not be featuring in the ongoing electioneering public debates on national television and radio, being organised by the Broadcast Organisation of Nigeria (BON).
This, according to the party, is because of the unhidden bias and campaign of calumny by some key organisers of the programme, against the corporate political interest of the party.
However, other presidential debates to which Buhari has been invited are still under consideration, the party added.

Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), Garba Shehu, said in a press statement on Thursday in Abuja that the debate sponsored by Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG) was fraught with fundamental errors from the outset, being composed mainly of agencies and allies of the People's Democratic Party's (PDP) administration.
"A salutary inspection of the composition of NEGD brings into focus the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), National Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Africa Independent Television (AIT), owned by a PDP chieftain. And going by the avalanche of inflammatory statements, misinformation and blatant lies being propagated by some of these media against our party and candidates contrary to the Koffi Annan-brokered Abuja Peace Accord, and the failure of these aggressors to desist and apologise, have left the APC Campaign with no option than to steer clear of any premeditated smear campaign that could be inimical to our prospective electoral success," Shehu said.

The APCPCO spokesman further explained that the boycott by the APC should not be seen as disrespect for Nigerian voters, or a ploy to evade public scrutiny. Rather, Shehu said, it must be viewed as an honourable right not to consent to any activity that could distract, demean, denigrate or derail the fast-moving train of the party.

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