"In 1999 a committee came forth to organize a debate between the then candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and the compromise candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, AD/ All Peoples Party APP, Chief Olu Falae. On the appointed day, the whole nation waited with anxiety to what will be an opportunity to assess the candidates in combat positions and assess their preparedness for the heculian task salvaging the nation from years of military misrule, humility, comportment, intelligence and grasp of the issues that concern Nigeria. They needed sufficient information to make up their minds on who will better deliver the people from eternal bondage they seemed to have been consigned. The debate was to be carried live on radio and television. On the appointed day Nigerians watched for what seemed eternity as a lonely Olu Falae sat in a big sofa, waiting for an Obasanjo that never showed up. Terribly embarrassed, the organizers tried to make excuses even though they kept repeating that Chief Obasanjo was duly invited and even contacted that same day, and there was no indication that he was not going to attend."

The truth is we assumed too much about this Politician. why can't we hold a debate between every candidate, so we can be acle to hold them accountable for their own words. Please tell me what you think about a presidential debate in Naija and is that going to help? As for me, Truly speaking, with out debate, we are going to end up with some kind of abuki that can't speak english or we no nothing about as presidet. plz leave your opinion.

a public debate will be a good idea but nigerian leaders are not servers they are rulers

they do not organise press conference where people field questions, they just get someone to say things not ask questions

i think a state like lagos should organise a state debate for would be governors.

another thing you wil notice is that most of the parties do not have any specific thing they stand for

I was just thinking of the same idea for this politicians to show their Ideas

@topic, are politicians not the second biggest liars after lawyers, any politician can hold a debate and convince us.

Even Mini-Me can hold a debate. its as easy a preparing for a job interview.

What we should look for in our potential leader is not what they nsay or promise to do but what they have achieved before they ever ventured into politics.

Obasanjo did not attend that debate because he did not consider Olu Falae as a threat, his people (INEC) had already won the election for him

@loverbwoy, how can Lagos state organize public debate when they are busy killing all potential gubernitorial candidates? who will attend that kind of debate?
That would be regarded as a stairway to death.

yeah but thats the step towards democracy. there is a big difference b/w promises during debate and campaign. If these canditate can't tell us how they going to fullfil there promise then thats mean they can't do it. We need to make it a tradition. Peolple can say wat ever they want to say during a campaign depending on a state, just to convice that particular state, but debate is a general veiw.

walelead:

@topic, are politicians not the second biggest liars after lawyers, any politician can hold a debate and convince us.

Even Mini-Me can hold a debate. its as easy a preparing for a job interview.

What we should look for in our potential leader is not what they nsay or promise to do but what they have achieved before they ever ventured into politics.

Obasanjo did not attend that debate because he did not consider Olu Falae as a threat, his people (INEC) had already won the election for him

Do u know in the weastern world debate has a lot of decidind there presidency?

really debate is good and acceptable in politics but as someone as earlier said that does not guarantee good leadership. but i will still subscribe to a well organised debate for anybody that want to vie for any elected posts, many are there just for their own sake and their pocket, we shd consider the masses, let us know what you have for the populace. obasanjo promised us nothing so we shd not xpect anything from him, all the window dressing opportunity has was just a fluke that's why many are not successful coz they are not pre-planned.
thanks

@walelead

What we should look for in our potential leader is not what they nsay or promise to do but what they have achieved before they ever ventured into politics.

i quite agree with you, but the main thing this debate will expose is the opportunity for them to explain what they have achieved before _{even though we know they just money bags n dirty old men preyin on university girls}. They will be able to explain without script to an AUDIENCE (professionals,economist,and so on, the audience would have the oppotunity to ask questions just like QUESTION TIME.

it would be fun watching some(most) of the sweating like sallah goat

Its heart disturbing when it comes to issues regarding Nigerian politics and the sorry state that it stands right now. come to think of it, the question of preelectoral debates is one of the very fundamental steps that we as Nigerian must and are required to adhere to before we ever wuld get to that point of true democracy. Its an unavoidable proceedure in the west, you shirk away from a debate, thats the end of your political aspirations, granted. Reason being that, the people in the west do actually pick their leaders, the reverse is the case is Nigeria, enough complaining about the status quo, its time we all have to begin to effect the needed changes, first by changing our mentality. We need move from the "oh its not possible, its always been that way, to the yes it would change and the time is now". Personally, i think we'll get there some day.

You people huh, what are they going to debate on, "ill give you water, light education', blah blah blah , probably throw 2 to 3 punches ,yell at each other, dig up the past , lots of arbitrary talk and at the end of it all , a banal section which lacks originality, thats nigeria for you, we critics are waiting oo