The 2011 Elections in Nigeria is a special case of nation-building. We did everything in a hurry. And we are harrying everybody in the polity! This hurry-hurry character must stop o, na wetin sef?
Once we refused to shift the official handing-over date from May 29 to October 1 as canvassed by many well-meaning Nigerians and some Friends of Nigeria, we had set up ourselves for the “unpredictable”! That was why we all “understood” and “bore” with INEC during the voter registration hiccups. Rightly so. There will be more challenges to come. And we trust that Nigerians will stand by Jega’s INEC.
That brings us to the question of election debates. Our people are complex but not complicated. With simple layouts and analyses you can convince and command (lead) them. Which is why the ruling class has gotten away with all their shenanigans all these years! They turned the virtues upside-down. Debates are central to democracy. Opinion polls are central to elections. Both are central to governance & development in modern society - be it in cabinet, parliament or the soapbox.
For us in Nigeria, I suggest that a simple format be designed for election debates. The organizers must act upfront. Conduct credible research on the areas of critical need, prepare a strategic plan, propose a timeline and do the indicative resource /funding requirements. Circulate this package to all political parties at the start of the election year, so that all aspirants know the score. And be ready to respond to the score. Period.
If we do so for every tier of government (presidential, gubernatorial, chairmanship) we will help the political parties weed out and winnow the fields! At the final debates before elections, we will have candidates compare apples with apples, have experts take them on, and give the electorates usable inputs for their final decisions.
With such a simple and comprehensive format jokers, pretenders, CV-boosters, pimps and charlatans will go elsewhere! It’s about time.
So 2015, here we come!
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