Unfortunately, Debates Don't Win Elections in Nigeria

A lot of politically minded Nigerians and more so, the residents of Anambra state who at least have access to Channels Television watched the debate conducted by the station with five leading aspirants vying for the mandate to preside over the affairs of the state for the next four years on Sunday and as short it was, it was a very fantastic occasion. Democracy, as ideally practised is a game of superior arguments and no wonder, the Sophists who taught the young men in the city of Athens where the concept emanated from, made so much money teaching their students the art of speaking. We must commend the initiative of the station and all others that have been involved in the organisation of such debates thus far to make sure that the Nigerian people are equipped with the agenda of candidates before the elections.

Having said that, the incumbent governor, Willie Obiano of APGA, flanked by the PDP candidate, Oseloka Obaze on his right and the APC candidate on his left took centre stage to martial out their agenda and plan for Anambrarians for the next four years if elected. Others were, a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka of UPP and Godwin Ezeemo of PPA. It was a very heated debate and we could see even in the midst of the political correctness and mutual respect, the animosity that some of these men had towards each other most especially the incumbent and the PDP candidate.

I will try to give a brief analysis of what I noticed during the debate from each of the candidates:

WILLIE OBIANO (APGA)- I was a bit taken aback by his lack of composure and confidence on the night which is uncharacteristic of an incumbent governor who has been at the helm of affairs for the past three years. It seemed like he memorised his blueprint and we could see him stuttering in the process of dishing out key statistics. At some point, he was contradicting himself, most notably when he said that for the airport to be constructed in the state, the state will not pay a dime but after others had spoken, he made a U-turn and said that there are three partners that will fund the airport and that Anambra only had 10% as equity. In my own estimation, this was a man who clearly did not have a good command of his administration or could it be pressure?

OSELOKA OBAZE (PDP)- You could see a man that looked like governor Akeredolu of Ondo state but you could hear the voice of former governor of the state, Peter Obi as he opened his mouth. He was talking about MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and for people who have listened to Peter Obi speak for a long time especially during his spectacular two-time performance at the Platform in Lagos, you could easily tell. However, in fairness, he was articulate with his points, he was confident and he knew what he had in mind for his people. This is man clearly out to continue the legacy of Peter Obi in the state, whatever you term that legacy to be is left for you. He was confident and overtly critical of the incumbent's programmes.

TONY NWOYE (APC)- This is a man who has been here before only then he was on the platform of the PDP and he knew what he wanted to say but his articulation, composure and body language did not do him justice on the night. He did not make an impression on the audience and at some point during the debate, it seemed like he was a bit absent minded. If debates win elections, he would have failed even before the first vote is cast. In fairness, we might say that he is a bit inexperienced in matters of the state even though he comes from a background of students activism with NANS.

GODWIN EZEEMO (PPA)- His points were a bit lost in transit and I could not really make out what his agenda was. His speech was a bit less ideological and articulation was actually lacking. I dare say that he was the poorest of the candidates on the night. I was amazed when he said that “they will use batcher” (tents) in his description of the kind of airport that he would construct gradually, considering the paucity of funds in the state. Does this man know that Anambra is the state with the highest number of millionaires in the South East and will not see such and idea as befitting? I thought to myself.

OSITA CHIDOKA (UPP)- A fire brand, an orator and a man with so much ideological prowess. He was fantastic on the night and you could see the way he oozed confidence. He was raring to go and he was very conscious of his use of time. He hit a master-stroke after he clarified on the ownership of the airports, being one of the sectors in the exclusive list and you just wanted to hear the man speak because whenever he did, he had something insightful to say. He was by far the winner of the debate on the night. Some might argue that oratory does not translate to good governance but they must not forget that a future that one cannot see, one cannot enter.

Clearly, Osita came first; second, the vibrant Obaze; third will be the incumbent Obiano, who failed to cease the moment to boss over his opponents. Fourth is Nwoye and fifth will be Ezeemo. If debates won elections, then this should be the results of the election on November 18 but sadly, Nigeria is far away from such bliss because over 60% of residents in the state did not see that debate. The election will be won and lost in the rural areas where the rigging will be massive and the candidate with the more money to spend will carry the day. This is a sad reality.

I hope for the day when our elections will be issue based and when we can track the activities of the government including making sure that the government delivers on its promises. We are getting there, very slowly but surely we will.

I wish all the candidates good luck and like we say, let the best man win.

Victor Ndulewe writes from Ibadan, Nigeria.