The role of debate in Elections

   
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to
hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century.

The universal use of elections as a tool for selecting representatives in democracies is in contrast with the practice, in the democratic archetype in ancient Athens. In any election, public debate is a
significant tool in the process, because debate is a series of forums where people's opinions, interests and expectations are expressed on an issue that concerns the whole or part of the society. It offers a
platform where the aspirants will be able to voice out their plans on how they will go about their leadership if elected into offices.

Debate helps in the creation of transparent and accountable administration, the risk of power abuse will be reduced to minimum in an administration which is constantly supervised and held accountable
through public debate. Nigeria as a nation has been practicing democracy since 1999, though our democracy is still nascent compared to countries like America, United Kingdom and other western world, she has had truncated democracy in the past, but she has been practicing uninterrupted democracy since 1999 when the military willingly relinquished power to the democratically elected leaders.

Since 1999, we have had four major elections that ushered in leaders through those elections but the roles of debate were never taken into cognizance, leaders were elected 'clannishly' into offices. Religious and tribal sentiments are the major factors used by Nigerians in electing their leaders in the past. Even, we have had cases of aspirants boycotting public debates in the past and still won elections, no wonder we are led astray because we were never told of their plans for the offices and how they intend to go about the execution of the plans.


Debate offers a platform whereby the aspirant is able to roll out the party's manifesto. In any civilized society, it is through the public debates that the masses decide on who they vote for without sentiments. I vividly remember in 2008 during the race for the democratic party's presidential ticket between Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton, it was through public debate that Obama was able to defeat the more powerful Hilary Clinton to clinch the party's ticket. Again, despite being a black man, he was able to defeat the Republican's John McCain through the debate because he was able to convince the electorates about his plans for the Americans.

In Nigeria, as we are preparing to vote in February 2015, we should do away with ethnic, tribal and religious politics, debate should be the only determining factor through which our leaders are voted into offices, because through the debates the aspirants will be able to take each other to the cleaners and who comes top should be entrusted with our votes to lead us. As a nation we are facing numerous challenges in the educational, health, sectors among others, impunity, corruption and ineptitude is the other of the day, we need to get it right to tackle all these problems bedeviling our nation. All the aspirants must stand before the people and debate on the plans they have for the masses and how they will go about implementing the plans.                                                                                                      Even, I will suggest we have different debates on the economy, foreign policy and other key national issues for the presidential aspirants as well as governorship aspirants. Also, members of the public must be allowed to contribute by asking questions from the aspirants vying for the elective offices.

Any aspirant that shuns must not be voted for in the forthcoming general elections. Enough of poor leadership, it is high time we got things right in our land. Aspirants without reasonable blueprints should be left out by the masses because we are at the receiving of their decisions, we bear the pains of insecurity, hunger, unemployment, poor health facilities and infrastructure deficit. The incoming general election has offered us the chance to do things in the right way, we must truncate the wave of impunity, corruption, insecurity and clueless leadership ravaging our beloved country. Public debates must take the centre stage in determining who leads us, the aspirants must be subjected to rigorous debates to know what they have to offer the nation. Things must work out for us as a nation, we must have a functional system where leaders see themselves as servants to the people .
 I implore the people to do away with the business as usual mantra. To get it right in these general election, we must embrace public debates in selecting who we vote into electives offices. The task of building an egalitarian society that promotes fairness and equity is a task for all and sundry, it is high time we did away with primordial politics, we must jettison ethnic, tribal and religious politics we are presently playing in the country. Leaders with clear vision and goals must be elected to lead us till 2019. As a nation, we must not fail, we must get it right. Vote wisely, your vote is your right.