Kenneth Udeh, Abuja

A bill seeking to make election debates compulsory for presidential and governorship candidates has scaled second reading.

The senate voted in favour of the electoral act amendment bill at yesterday’s plenary session.

Sponsored by Abdulfatai Buhari who represents Oyo north, the bill also seeks to mandate vice-presidential and deputy governorship candidates to participate in such debates.

Candidates in elections in Nigeria are currently not mandated to participate in any. In fact, the two leading candidates in the last presidential election shunned the exercise.



The bill empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise mandatory debates for the candidates to “help boost and strengthen he electoral process.”

Most of the lawmakers agreed making the debates mandatory for candidates will help in their assessment, and improve Nigeria’s electoral process.

Buhari, the sponsor, said it will also be used to sample the candidates’ readiness on a wide range of burning issues, “as is being done in other developed countries”.

“Voters learn from the debate, and are more accurately able to judge candidates and get additional information about them,” he said.

“It also helps the candidates to speak on a wide range of issues as the national assembly is doing with ministerial nominees.

“If the ministers can be assessed, it is logically imperative for the president and others to be adequately assessed also.”


Shedding more light on the bill during Thursday's plenary Buhari emphasized, that if eventually passed into the law the bill will strengthen the nation's democracy in conformity with the practice of other renowned democracies of the world.



Citing the United States as an example, Buhari noted that it had become customary for the main candidates of the two largest political parties; the Republican and Democrat to engage in debates.



In his words "What we have presently as Nigeria Election Debate is an effort in futility as participants find pleasure in boycotting it at will."



Buhari pointed out that a mandatory election debate will offer Nigerians a chance to evaluate candidates so they can vote along policy or ideological lines instead of ethnic allegiance and that it will equally lead to the development of strong democratic institutions that would neutralize the patronage system that makes ascending to power so cumbersome.



Speaking in support of the bill , Senator Gobir Abduallahi (Sokoto East) rallied his colleagues to back the passage of the bill, he expressed that amended Act would end "Godfatherism" in the nation's politics.



He said " this would do away with quacks and all those bad people are not even qualified to be appointed. But I differ is with the electoral body because of the corruption that is embedded within the electoral system. We need an independent body that will assess the quality of the candidates who participate in the debate and they would be scored according to their performance".



While expressing support for the bill Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) called for an independent debate body which would consist of civil society groups. He also advocated that the debate shouldn't be an all comers affair.



He said "Majority of the current electorates are younger , better educated and informed. Contesting an election is like a taking up a job and appearing for interview is compulsory".



Expunging INEC from organizing the debate was re-echoed as

Senator Aisahtu Dahiru (Adamawa Central) was of the opinion that it would increase expenditure burden of the Federal Government.



She said " It is an avenue to provide outstanding performers. Considering the number of parties we have , it will put more burden on INEC and the main election is very hard. The federal government funds INEC so we have to avoid another thing that will bring extra expenditure. In America we have debate organizers , their commission is independent and non partisian, they have nothing to do with politics.



Like majority of his colleagues Senator Smart Adeyemi gave the bill a pass mark he also advocated for the Media and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to be empowered to organize the debate.



Senate President Ahmed Lawan, stated that INEC being a government body would discourage candidates from participating in the election debate most especially those in the opposition. He advised those interested in being part of the proposed Independent Debate Body to stay away from politics early enough in order not to be tagged as partisian during the selection process.

The Bill was referred to the Senate Committee on INEC to report back within four weeks.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/senate-endorses-bill-to-make-election-debate-mandatory-for-president-governors/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Good, so that we can differentiate intelligent ones from dummies ?

Hmmmm

Truth be told, if this was in place before 2015, Buhari wouldn't have been president. But at least, this will help us prevent another Buhari-like president

This is a nice move by the senate. But will Nigeria vote according to the various ideas the candidate table during the debate and go out there and vote for their favourite party.

Left to be signed by the President. Because I remember he turned down a Presidential Debate in 2015 and 2019 respectively

good bills we don't want miserable people ike bubu again

Nice one

Buhari is just a forerunner for credible future election and good governance in Nigeria one thing must happen to make a better life what of living.

I wish this bill came before 2015, Nigeria would have dodged this Buhari disaster because his shallowness would have been exposed.

I know Nigerians will never make the mistake of voting any fool who cannot intelligibly and coherently express and enunciate what he wants to do for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Maybe Buhari was a necessary mistake we needed to make so we can learn the hard way and never vote fools ever again.