Kadaria Ahmed to engage Buhari, Atiku ahead of 2019 polls

Daria Media, in collaboration with Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), has organised a town hall meeting for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of four of the political parties contesting the 2019 elections.

The candidates are Kingsley Moghalu and Umma Getso of the Young Progressive Party (YPP); President Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo of the All Progressives Congress Congress (APC); Omoyele Sowore and Rabiu Rufai of the African Action Congress Party (AACP); Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Kadaria Ahmed, media personality and executive director of Daria Media, in a statement on Monday, said the meeting will hold on January 9.

According to the statement, the “leading” parties participating in the programme, titled “The Candidates”, were selected from “the results of multiple polls”.

Ahmed, who will moderate the sessions, said it would be an opportunity for Nigerians to hear directly from the candidates and ask them questions on governance and nation-building.

“As 91 political parties and their respective Presidential candidates vie to lead Nigeria’s next administration in the 2019 Election, ‘The Candidates’ a presidential town hall co-production between Daria Media and NTA, supported by the MacArthur Foundation, launches on the 9th of January, 2019,” the statement read.

“The Candidates, is a four-part, two-hour live televised town hall meeting series, of the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates for the four leading political parties. These parties were selected from the results of multiple polls aggregated by the Centre for Democracy and Development.

“The Candidates’ Presidential town hall will take place as follows: Kingsley Moghalu and running mate, Umma Getso of the Young Progressive Party – 9th January, 2019.

“Muhammadu Buhari and running mate, Yemi Osinbajo, All Progressives Congress Party –16th January, 2019

“Omoyele Sowore and running mate, Rabiu Ahmed Rufai, of the African Action Congress Party -23rd January, 2019

“Atiku Abubakar and running mate, Peter Obi of the Peoples Democratic Party – 30th January, 2019

“The Candidates will provide a unique platform for direct interaction between the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of the leading political parties in Nigeria and citizens.

“There will be an audience of 100 people for each town hall, including CSOs and the Diplomatic Corps, as well as citizens (who have applied online via daria.media) selected via an impartial and fair application process; other participants will join the conversation via social media and phone calls. It will be an opportunity for Nigerians to hear directly from the aspirants and to ask them questions on governance and nation building.

“The Candidates, will be broadcast across Nigeria on all platforms: live on NTA, and on all Radio Nigeria stations, other partner TV stations, as well as streamed online at www.dtv.media to enable Nigerians in the diaspora and those not near television screens to participate.”