If you are a free minded Nigerian who believes like I do that this country deserves the best, please do this country a favour especially if you are a friend of Goodluck Jonathan on facebook.

Please politely ask Mr President this simple question.

"Dear Mr President, will you and Atiku debate the future of this country live on TV? and what direction you intend to take it?"

Our democracy will certainly be better for it.
If anybody says no need for one' ask them what they are hiding.
If anybody says the debate will be in general elections' remind them that Obama debated Hillary and John Maccain debated Mitt Romney

Anybody who is simply not trying to hoodwink Nigerians with their candidacy should have nothing to fear when it comes to doing a public debate.

Ask Mr President to debate Atiku Now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dont believe debating is the answer i dont know why Atiku keeps bragging on debating. If they actually debate they might still fail us when they get there. During debate they can promise heaven on earth but after elected into power thats when you will see what they are up to. OK Atiku should start the debate and im sure if others sees that he is into business im sure they will all copy same thing

Because both will be exposed for what they are. These are important ingredients of a credible electoral process and we ignore that our own peril.

Any leader not confident enough to defend his records will most certainly not make a good President because they wont be able to influence policies.

Im sure both of them are not the Messiah we are looking for in terms to record. Im sure Atiku has a bad past than Jonathan. Infact as far as Nigerian politics is going , Im afraid things are getting worse than we expected. We need young, intelligent and a dynamic President in this country

^^^ If you are sure of this, why are you against a debate? What exactly have Nigerians got to loose in this?

^^^ If you are sure of this, why are you against a debate? What exactly have Nigerians got to loose in this?

im not against a debate all im just saying that debate wont change Nigeria though it will expose many of their secrets

mikeansy:

Because both will be exposed for what they are. These are important ingredients of a credible electoral process and we ignore that our own peril.

Any leader not confident enough to defend his records will most certainly not make a good President because they wont be able to influence policies.

We already know what Atiku is:

www.nairaland.com/attachments/360110_thief_jpg03fa410e988f7d5957843ec1511da5af

Ethnic bigot

thweraja10:

im not against a debate all im just saying that debate wont change Nigeria though it will expose many of their secrets

Definitely a debate will not necessarily act to CHANGE our democracy(not sure the @Poster has advocated it will do that) but will certainly help, to an extent, in informing Nigerians or what to expect from their potential leaders. I mean the recent introduction of debates in the UK did not CHANGE the system but simply helped open the candidates even more to the people. So again, what have we got to loose?

Definitely a debate will not necessarily act to CHANGE our democracy(not sure the @Poster has advocated it will do that) but will certainly help, to an extent, in informing Nigerians or what to expect from their potential leaders. I mean the recent introduction of debates in the UK did not CHANGE the system but simply helped open the candidates even more to the people. So again, what have we got to loose?

Yeah you are right

@Mikeansy.

I will always be strongly in favour of debate amongst candidates for important public office because I believe it makes the voting public better informed to cast votes correctly . Nonetheless , the call for a debate comes from the wrong man. If we are to show that we are coming of age politically then all Nigerians should tell Atiku to shove his debate in the spirit of fairness to all those involved in our politics - including Jonathan. Atiku cannot now want to pretend that Jonathan is a legitimate candidate to be engaged in a debate when he has done everything to forment dissent against the "illegal" candidacy of GEJ in the minds of Nigerians.

Why debate against someone you believe should be disqualified from running in the first place? I would be happy to entertain Atiku's call for a debate if he was not the same man preaching anarchy recently if he does not get his way. If Ribadu , Buhari and others wan't to engage GEJ in a debate then I back that . Atiku , to me, has become ugly with his thinly veiled threats and his coarse instigation of a highly clannish and feudal region. Atiku carelessly whips up sentiments of violence against GEJ, turns around to then say he is ready for arrest and he then wants us to endorse his call for a debate against Jonathan? Sorry , I can't fall for such cheap politricking from another desperado .

Re: Do Nigeria's Democracy A Small Favour
« #9 on: Today at 07:28:19 PM »

@Mikeansy.

I will always be strongly in favour of debate amongst candidates for important public office because I believe it makes the voting public better informed to cast votes correctly . Nonetheless , the call for a debate comes from the wrong man. If we are to show that we are coming of age politically then all Nigerians should tell Atiku to shove his debate in the spirit of fairness to all those involved in our politics - including Jonathan. Atiku cannot now want to pretend that Jonathan is a legitimate candidate to be engaged in a debate when he has done everything to forment dissent against the "illegal" candidacy of GEJ in the minds of Nigerians.

Why debate against someone you believe should be disqualified from running in the first place? I would be happy to entertain Atiku's call for a debate if he was not the same man preaching anarchy recently if he does not get his way. If Ribadu , Buhari and others wan't to engage GEJ in a debate then I back that . Atiku , to me, has become ugly with his thinly veiled threats and his coarse instigation of a highly clannish and feudal region. Atiku carelessly whips up sentiments of violence against GEJ, turns around to then say he is ready for arrest and he then wants us to endorse his call for a debate against Jonathan? Sorry , I can't fall for such cheap politricking from another desperado .

Gbawe you said it all The call of debate should not be coming from someone like Atiku if it was coming from somebody like Ribadu fine not Atiku he has nothing to offer including JEG im sorry to say this.

The debate is not necessarily wrong, but I dont see what a debate from candidates of the same party will do, probably expose both candidates as rubbish, however what percenrage of Nigerians would actually see the debates and make decisions based on that. So I am yet to see the full benefit.

I am more concened about the inablility of Nigerians to put thier difference aside and work towards achieving a credible opposition, as long as we as a people cannot agree to move in one direction, we will find it practically impossible to oust PDP

In this day of youtube, facebook, and twitter, I don't think it necessarily matters how many people watch the debate live but the soundbytes do matter. It can be replayed over and over, and people can send it across the world so others can review and at least get a better picture of what the candidates coming from the one party or any other party has to offer for answers to the Nigerian situation.

About getting Nigerians to put their differences aside, that is not likely to happen anytime before the next election. So it makes sense to use that available to you now to maybe start educating Nigerians on what is going on.

Ciroma is very old now. this is a shock is that how he looks now. bamanga tukur use to buy sugar in savannah sugar adamawa and now sell it.

Well limited inpact, besided people accross the world are not going to influence the outcome, the common man in Nigeria hardly watches televison let alone political debate. We are very far off from that sort of politics in Nigeria, maybe except Lagos, which hard one during the last elections

I still think we should start by having a credible opposition, even those of us here find it difficult to agree on a concensus candidate, let alone the layman who hasnt got access to the internet and modern media.

WRONG!!! People across the ponds can and will influence this coming election. I mean most of the decisions in Nigeria are currently not made in Nigeria, and more then ever people abroad not only keep up with what is going on in NIgeria and outside but also inform their family and friends in Nigeria to both educate them and also help them understand that sycophancy of any kind is likely not in their best interest.

if I have myself been able to convince family members not to vote PDP next election, I am certain there are many others doing similar across the world.

Becomrich?:

Ciroma is very old now. this is a shock is that how he looks now. bamanga tukur use to buy sugar in savannah sugar adamawa and now sell it.

He looks like an ape,same is his mind.Just as they look,so they think.

Well can I ask if you where in Nigeria during the last elections? well if you weren't, then I doubdt you fully understand how the politics on the groud works. Tell as many people as you like not to vote for PDP, when the time comes those with the necessary mechinery on the ground will claim the victory

monkeyleg:

Well can I ask if you where in Nigeria during the last elections? well if you weren't, then I doubdt you fully understand how the politics on the groud works. Tell as many people as you like not to vote for PDP, when the time comes those with the necessary mechinery on the ground will claim the victory

But that is not the point. The point is regardless of the established problems we need to use the weapons available to us, to fight the best we can. We cannot continue using the age old excuse you point to above as reason why we should not do anything to change things. What we have seen is that the votes count in some cases -- Edo, Ekiti, Anambra etc. There is absolutely no excuse to continue thinking the old way anymore.

Well, I agree, but I can also catergorically tell you that your plan is likely to achieve little, especially as we do not have a common opposition. Let us start by having a common opposition. Though we all agree that PDP is our greatest enemy, we are divided amongts ourselves.

monkeyleg:

Well, I agree, but I can also catergorically tell you that your plan is likely to achieve little, especially as we do not have a common opposition. Let us start by having a common opposition. Though we all agree that PDP is our greatest enemy, we are divided amongts ourselves.

Again you are suggesting we do what we know will likely never happen in Nigeria. Common opposition, likely made up of thieves who are themselves seeking ways to get at power and loot, is not going to happen between now and the election. My plan is not really a plan. I am simply for educating those I have access to on what is actually going on in their country to better aid them in making the right decision for their lives, and their futures. At the end, we still live in a democracy and if the majority are not ready for change, and choose instead to vote for the status quo to continue, that choice is theres.

For me, PDP is an enemy we need to do away with completely, for others it is not that big of an enemy. However, it does not hurt to better inform people of the situation and why making a better choice this time will help ensure them better opportunities for their future. People abroad have been engaged in this, even more so now than before, and opening up the flood gates to educate the people is never a bad idea. Even if we still end up with PDP, at least we will know then what we probably do not know now of how people in Nigeria truly vote, or not vote.

@Kobojunkie,

I did this same thing at th deep end, I mean amongst my family and friends, even in the newspaper stands, and where people were registering to vote. But the message has to be sustained, the people you preach to need to be converted and willing to stay converted and act.
But we will see

I don't think the objective is necessarily that of conversion. I mean definitely, these people will likely be more informed, but at the end of the day, even the informed are free to vote the same old way. There are different reasons for this but it is not one for us to concern ourselves with. For instance, people might prefer to vote for the status quo to remain, and that is to be expected. So, engaging and informing people will likely yield good results, but there is no guarantee that it will happen overnight. I mean we are speaking, at the end of the day of Africa where most of the world's tried and proven formulas have yet to yield much change.

You people keep posting this do your country a favour.  It is an expensive process to run for president. It cost more than one man money.

I dont want to say I want to run for president. I want to win if I run for president.  There is no lossing in my dictionary.