2023: Citing ‘unfavorable climate,’ NESG shelves presidential debate

By Doosuur Iwambe

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) presidential debate for the 2023 polls scheduled to hold next week in Abuja has been put on hold till further notice.

Organisers of the summit while announcing the development cited “unfavorable climate” as reason for the postponement.

The organisers however disclosed that in place of the debate, it would organise a town hall meeting for presidential candidates of the political parties at a later date.

NESG chairman, Asue Ighodalo confirmed the change of plan while responding to questions from journalists after a scheduled pre-summit briefing.

Ighodalo said there must be a minimum level of issues that presidential aspirants must sign on to, DailyTimesNGR gathered.

He said the NESG had “hoped there was going to be a debate, but the prevailing climate wasn’t comfortable for it anymore.

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“However, we are planning a town hall arrangement. It’s fundamental each aspirant tells Nigerians how he intends to tackle each sector of the economy.

“The public can then take them up copiously sector by sector. There will be no aspirant that will say I don’t know. I promise this,” he said.

Speaking more on what this year’s summit will cover, Ighodalo projected that “in five years, Nigeria can become a leading industrialising and reforming nation in Africa that focuses on building its state capacity and capabilities.”

Within that period, Nigeria he said, “can break free from decades-long political, policy, legislative and regulatory binding constraints.”