Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, boycotted a debate organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development, in Abuja, yesterday.
The event, which was centred on corruption and accountability, had a representative of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kazeem Afegbua, candidates of African Action Congress (AAC) and Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Omoyele Sowore and Tope Fasua, respectively.
Others included the National Secretary, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Paul Isamade and National Publicity Secretary of Young Progressive Party (YPP), Egbeola Martins.
On the fight against corruption, Afegbua accused government of not holistically tackling the scourge, and that people who defect to the APC were given a clean bill of health.
He assured Nigerians that if PDP’s standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar, is elected, his government would not condone corruption.
“Nigeria is a country of sins without sinners. Look at the individuals running commentaries that this and so person are corrupt. They, too, are enmeshed in corruption.
“The global definition of corruption is monopoly plus discretion minus accountability. It’s the monopoly power of an individual that makes him abuse his discretionary power,” Afegbua said.
Sowore, who aligned with Afegbua, breached the rules by calling names of alleged corrupt leaders whom he claimed decamped to the ruling party to ascape prosecution but was interrupted by the moderator.
Sowore disclosed that, if elected, his government would adopt digitalised techniques to ensure proper asset declaration.
“Declaration of assets should be digitalised. Not only will I digitalise, I will also apply other technologies to ensure that it is properly done,” he said.