OFFA LOCAL GOVT POLL: Accord Candidate Pulls Out of Chairmanship Debate, Gives Reasons

The candidate of the Accord Party (AP) in the September 21, 2024, Offa Local Government election, Hon. Surajudeen Olaitan Balogun, has written the organisers of Friday, September 13, chairmanship debate that he wouldn’t be available for the debate.

Organised by ONEIH- Kola Balogun Technology Centre, Hon. Surajudeen commended the organisation for organising the debate which he said would “shape the future of Offa in alignment with global norms of community development.”

However, the chairmanship candidate said he would have loved to participate in the debate had it been ONEIH- Kola Balogun Technology Centre had done something similar in the past. He also complained about the time of notification which he said was too short.

The statement reads in part, “However, it is with deep remorse that I must inform you of my incapability to attend the debate due to a combination of reasons. At first, while I am pleased to see the collaboration between ONEIH- Kola Balogun Technology Centre and the Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU), I believe that this collaboration could have been more poignant, had it been initiated before. Specifically, the ODU’s first organized debate, which took place some time ago, would have been an ideal moment for aligning this initiative.

“Secondly, the short period of announcement for this debate presents a significant challenge. When the ODU first organized a debate, ample time was allocated for notifying and that afforded me the opportunity to amend my schedules and plan consequently. This long-term notice was pivotal in ensuring that the event was well-coordinated and that all invited parties had the chance to prepare completely. In discrepancy, the limited notice for this forthcoming event makes it relatively delicate for me to reshuffle my commitments, as they were formerly solidified well in advance.

“In addition to the short notice, I presently bear the responsibility for managing a number of critical commitments, both particular and professional, which bear expansive collaboration and planning, and unfortunately, they do not allow important inflexibility without previous notifications.

“As much as I would have loved to prioritize this important event, my family commitments have made it impossible to do so at this time. Family responsibilities are integral to me, and some kneen issues, unfortunately, coincide with the listed debate date and even beyond, thereby limiting my availability.

“I must point out that engaging in similar events is something I value deeply, however, due to these pressing reasons, I find myself unfit to attend this particular debate. I am auspicious that future collaborations will enable us to work together more nearly to achieve our participated pretensions.”