The Nigerian national conference wants to make election debates mandatory for candidates seeking elective offices in the country.
L-R: Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu And General Muhammadu Buhari At The 2011 Presidential Debate
The executive chairman of DAAR communications Plc, and a delegate to the national conference, Raymond Dokpesi disclosed this at the Nigerian Elections Debate Group, NEDG symposium on international debate best practices in Abuja.
Dokpesi said the national conference’s final report seeks to get election debates included in the nation’s Electoral Act.
Dokpesi said, “The national conference has accepted and adopted the need for all contestants for public offices in Nigeria to subject themselves to national debate and that recommendation is going to INEC and to the national assembly to be incorporated into the Electoral Act.”
Ishmael Igbani, INEC national commissioner while reacting to the suggestion for election debates to be inputted into the Electoral Act said the suggestion has the support of the commission.
“We are ready for that. I think it would be good since the chairman of the house committee on electoral matters was here and I said we would support it. That we should have it as part of the Electoral Act.”
The first election debate in Nigeria was conducted in the third republic in the 1983 presidency election. Since the commencement of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, election debates are becoming essential parts of the electoral process. Debates by candidates have helped the electorates to make informed choices on electionday.
Dokpesi further said, “Prior to this time, political office holders just come with their dancers and drummers and they dance and go away without telling people specifically the programmes that they want to pursue, how they need to pursue it, how they would get the resources to pursue it and what structural changes they need to bring. The debates have made it mandatory for them now to discuss on these issues so we know what to hold who for at the appropriate time.”
Taiwo Allimi, Chairman Nigerian Elections Debate Group, said, “Candidates during our debates embrace each other, smile at each other, shake hands with each other and are very happy to see each other when they appear on our debates. The followers then tell themselves, ‘if we are killing ourselves because of these people that are even so friendly then we should stop violent situations on voting day’.”
The NEDG urged corporate bodies to come to its aid in terms of funding to ensure its neutrality in the discharge of its mandates.
- See more at: http://aitonline.tv/post-national_conference__presidential_debates_to_be_made_mandatory#sthash.iyFuPe0c.dpuf
L-R: Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu And General Muhammadu Buhari At The 2011 Presidential Debate
The executive chairman of DAAR communications Plc, and a delegate to the national conference, Raymond Dokpesi disclosed this at the Nigerian Elections Debate Group, NEDG symposium on international debate best practices in Abuja.
Dokpesi said the national conference’s final report seeks to get election debates included in the nation’s Electoral Act.
Dokpesi said, “The national conference has accepted and adopted the need for all contestants for public offices in Nigeria to subject themselves to national debate and that recommendation is going to INEC and to the national assembly to be incorporated into the Electoral Act.”
Ishmael Igbani, INEC national commissioner while reacting to the suggestion for election debates to be inputted into the Electoral Act said the suggestion has the support of the commission.
“We are ready for that. I think it would be good since the chairman of the house committee on electoral matters was here and I said we would support it. That we should have it as part of the Electoral Act.”
The first election debate in Nigeria was conducted in the third republic in the 1983 presidency election. Since the commencement of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, election debates are becoming essential parts of the electoral process. Debates by candidates have helped the electorates to make informed choices on electionday.
Dokpesi further said, “Prior to this time, political office holders just come with their dancers and drummers and they dance and go away without telling people specifically the programmes that they want to pursue, how they need to pursue it, how they would get the resources to pursue it and what structural changes they need to bring. The debates have made it mandatory for them now to discuss on these issues so we know what to hold who for at the appropriate time.”
Taiwo Allimi, Chairman Nigerian Elections Debate Group, said, “Candidates during our debates embrace each other, smile at each other, shake hands with each other and are very happy to see each other when they appear on our debates. The followers then tell themselves, ‘if we are killing ourselves because of these people that are even so friendly then we should stop violent situations on voting day’.”
The NEDG urged corporate bodies to come to its aid in terms of funding to ensure its neutrality in the discharge of its mandates.
- See more at: http://aitonline.tv/post-national_conference__presidential_debates_to_be_made_mandatory#sthash.iyFuPe0c.dpuf
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