By Adeola Badru

The tensed situation in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Saturday as a result of scarcity of the new naira notes and fuel, has prevented the debate organised for the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi from holding.

The abrupted Presidential debate was organised by the South West Development Stakeholders Forum (SWDSF), at Jogor Centre, Ibadan.

Obi, who had been around in Ibadan one hour before the commencement of the parley, would have had the opportunity to meet the southwest stakeholders, as other presidential candidates like the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; that of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwanso; that of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Kola Abiola; that of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), Prince Adedayo and others have done, but had to leave through a chopper due to unfavourable security reports.

The Chairman of the stakeholders’ Forum, Dr. Adedayo Alao, who disclosed to journalists the reason for the cancellation, said another day for the debate would be announced.

Meanwhile, in an interview, the Oyo State Coordinator of Independent Campaign Council for Obi/Datti, “The Big Tent,” Princess Oyeronke Akinlolu narrated: “What really happened here today is that our candidate, Peter Obi was supposed to be here and we’ve been waiting here inside this hall and according to our men who went to receive him at the Liberty Stadium said, he landed and was supposed to come down and the DG campaign council Akin Osuntokun asked him to go back into the aircraft that brought him because of security reports they received.”

“We were also briefed by our men who were on ground that the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare was calling DSS. What was their mission at the stadium and they told him that they were there to receive Peter Obi and shortly after that, a campaign bus of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu came where Obi was supposed to land and of course, the DG has the right to tell Peter Obi to go away from the scene and this may be because the situation was not conducive enough for him to come down, what if if he’s attacked there what do you expect him to do?”

While speaking on the implication of his absence at the southwest stakeholders forum presidential parley, Oyeronke said: “For me personally, I’m not happy because I’m supposed to be part of this southwest developmental forum, but when you have people campaigning for you to come and be part of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign and they’re members of this forum, what do you expect?”

“Members of this southwest development stakeholders forum are not one, they’re not two and they’re not even three, but when you have one or two of them talking about Tinubu, then maybe it’s a kind of sabotage because I don’t know how that will favour anyone,” she said.