Monday, 27 February 2017
All you need to know about the Nigerian Political Debates Commission Bill



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All you need to know about the Nigerian Political Debates Commission Bill

February 27, 2017





by Usman Alabi

The bill seeks to establish a commission to be called “Nigerian Political Debates Commission” which would be responsible for the organization of debates for all candidates of registered Political Parties cleared by INEC to participate in election into the offices of the president and vice president of the country as well as governor and deputy governor of a state.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North)

EXPECTED FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION

Conduct debates for candidates vying for offices of the President, Vice President, Governor and deputy governorTo strengthen the electoral process thereby advancing Nigeria’s democracyCreates a platform that would encourage Nigerians to vote on ideological lines and not on ethnic or religious basisCreate a veritable platform that distills information about candidates for political offices so as to encourage citizens to make informed choices

Likely Implications of the Bill if passed

Candidates would now be compelled by law to attend debate

The Commission would be partisan since it is a government establishment

The commission would be funded by the government

Status of the Bill: The bill has scaled second reading and has been referred to the Senate committees on Establishment and Public Service in collaboration with the Senate committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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Source: www.olawoyinedris..com

nice bill.
if its eventually passed,it will be a right step in the right direction and a major boost to our democracy.
major candidates will now be compelled to be knowledgeable about good governance and will now have to explain their strategic policies for development or face rejection by the people.
come to think of it,if nigerians had analysed Jonathan buhari presidential debates as seriously as we did with Clinton and trump, I doubt if they would be in the kind of mess they are in now.

nice one