African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has said he will only participate in presidential debates ahead of the 2027 general election if President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress also take part.

The position was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by Atiku’s spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo.

According to Okonkwo, presidential debates should provide a platform for both the ruling party and opposition candidates to present their policies and programmes to Nigerians.

He criticised debates that feature only opposition candidates, describing the arrangement as unfair and accusing the APC-led administration of avoiding public scrutiny while opposition parties debate among themselves.

“The situation in Nigeria today, in which presidential debates are organised among the opposition parties only, is untenable,” the statement said.

Okonkwo added that Atiku, as the opposition coalition’s presidential candidate, would not participate in any debate that excluded Tinubu and the APC.

The statement said Atiku remained willing to engage Nigerians through interviews, town hall meetings, press conferences and other public forums throughout the campaign.

It also challenged President Tinubu to a national presidential debate, saying such a platform would allow both the ruling party and the opposition to explain their policies and plans to voters ahead of the 2027 election.

According to Atiku’s camp, a direct debate involving the leading contenders would help Nigerians make an informed choice at the polls.