Quote:Bukola Saraki, Senate President, has predicted that Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s President, will not attended the presidential debate billed for to hold January 19.

Mr Saraki stated this at an event on Thursday while speaking to some Civil Society Organisations in Abuja.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also scheduled to address the CSOs at the event.

“I am told that one has debated and you already know the answer to that debate. On the second one, I am very sure he is not going to debate. So how do you assess somebody who is not ready to tell you what he is going to do?” the top lawmaker queried.

Saraki said gone are the days where presidential candidates are not properly scrutinized before being elected.

“Those days are gone, my good people. The future of this country, a country that leads the continent that is not the example we want to set for this continent.

“The whole world is going in a direction, if you are seeking a position, you must come and tell people what you want to do, you must sit down and they will ask you questions and that is why we are here.

“Today is your day, we will sit down and take questions. I hope at the end of this exercise, you will stand up and say yes, this is the team that will secure Nigeria; this is the team that will unite Nigeria; this is the team that will fight the poverty in town and bring a bright future,” he said.

2019 BUDGET HOPELESS

Saraki also took a swipe at the 2019 budget presented to the National Assembly by the president.

He described the document as one that is hopeless with no clear direction.

“We all heard the 2019 budget. That is a budget that has no hope for anybody because when you look at the statistics and the figures, there is poverty. If you look at the figures based on revenues that are coming in, there is nothing left, so where is the future?” Saraki further queried.

“There must be an alternative and that is what we hope that by this evening, speaking to our candidate and vice presidential candidate, is not based on sentiments. We are not voting on sentiments we are voting on what is in it for you.

“How is your life going to be better? Which party offers you a better future because we see you as those who are patriotic and committed? It’s not about what you will get today. It is about this great country. A lot of you have been making sacrifices over the years,” he said.