The Gento for Mayor Campaign Team has has turned down made Mayoral Debate for Freetown City organised by ILRAJ and Sierraeye.

“Our campaign wishes to inform our supporters and the general public that the said organisers have made that announcement without granting us the minimum courtesy of coordinating the details and getting our approval on availability and other important details,” Gento’s Campaign Team said.

They said the norm for such event should have been to contact parties who will be participating in the process.

“We regret that the organisers of this supposed debate, Sierra Eye and ILRAJ have not bothered to abide by these minimum standard of integrity, respect and courtesy for such an important event in our electoral process,” they said.

They accused ILRAJ and Sierraeye to be impartial and therefore lack trust for them to be arbiters of the debate.

The Campaign Team did not rule out participation in the debate but urged the organisers to follow the due process and not one intended to ambush their candidate in a “pre-cooked sham process”.

Gento’s Campaign Team said they will be devoted to working with other partners and media houses that are credible to facilitate a real inclusive and respectful debate.

ILRAJ and Sierraeye on Thursday afternoon announced that there will be a debate for Mayoral candidates for Freetown on 3 June at the Freetown City Auditorium but the possibility of it happening is now slim with one of the main contenders shun the event.