Reason We Need a Credible 2015
ELECTORAL DEBATE
What NEDG Should Put Into Consideration
Have
you ever wondered why those who voted a political officer to office are the
same set of people who kicks against the policies of the same? Shall we say they
made mistakes or uninformed choice by their votes? This has for sometimes now
been the case and it looks like repeating itself as we begin another era of electioneering
campaign that will usher in choices that will lead us for another four-year
tenure.
To
avoid making this re-occurring mistake in selection of those to lead us it is
my believe that we can judiciously make use of the “Political Debate”, this
process has been discovered to be a veritable tool that can be harnessed for
political education in order to enhance political participation. Now that
Nigeria is off the shore of democratic nascence, it is pertinent to develop a
platform credible enough to educate voters by giving candidates of political
parties an ample opportunity to address the electorate in order to minimize the
risk of blind voting. In an election,
power belongs to the electorate while after the election, the elected take the
helm of affairs. It is high time we used
political debate more effectively to stop the people from crying foul of the leaders they elected with their votes.
Nigeria
Electoral Debate Group (NEDG) has been saddled with the responsibility to
conduct another 2015 electoral debate, hence the need to arise as a compatriot
of Nigeria to lend my voice. Democracy
is still the best system of government and must be sustained. Let us consider
the followings as suggestions to NEDG members (I know plans are on ground).
NEUTRALITY:
Membership of the group, I believe, is based on non-partisanship. Therefore, the neutrality of the members of
the group must not be compromised in order to uphold the integrity of the
exercise. Rights of coverage of the exercise must not be limited to selected
media. However, this is not a time to
question the criteria for membership but it is a time to believe in utmost good
faith that justice has been done.
OBJECTIVITY:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) must be objective. Your choice of journalists
present for questioning must have been carefully done so that candidates will
not attach the questioners to various media owners who have their political
affiliations. Meanwhile, please note
that electorates have their reservations on the activities of media houses in
respect to drumming up support for the candidates of their choices. Questions
must be drafted and sent for a third-person view (a professor in political
science preferably).
VENUE
SETTING: what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. The setting of the
exercise must be carefully done to give room for special effects and glamour.
Good lighting must be achieved. A
platform must be created specially for the debaters with cushion chairs and
small tables that can contain a glass cup and a table water. On the platform of
the debaters, the speaking point with a microphone must be created not blocking
either the views of the co-debaters or the audience. More so, presentational aids must be provided
for where the debater can graphically and textually analyze his/her political
agenda, plans and ideologies.
Another
platform is meant for the questioners who will sit facing the debaters. On
carved table for the questioners, uni-directional microphones must be
positioned in front of each person. Table water and glass cups must also be
placed on them. There is need for the
technical crews to have their stand but must not be in view of the cameras. The
setting must done that all cameras are properly placed to avoid
distractions. The photographers and
cameramen must be positioned to avoid disruption. The audience, which has been
carefully selected, must be well positioned from the questioners to avoid
blocking of views.
SENDING OF INVITES: NEDG must
strive to get invites across to all candidates to ensure full
participation. A feedback from the
candidate signifying their intention to attend must be obtained. The invite must be followed up with a
telephone conversation to serve as a reminder of the exercise. Full details of the event and expectations
from the candidates must be carefully passed across to the appropriate
quarters. All candidates must be informed to come along with their profiles as
background information of the candidates must be beamed on the presentational
aids.
As
a candidate approaches the speaking point, his/her profile is beamed with a
voice over running concurrently on the presentational aids with the moderator
with a satement ‘I present to you…’ This will be followed by an applause from
the audience. If I were a member, I would have suggested that a foreign
journalist be part of the questioners.
On the presentation that will be done by the candidates, there will be
an allotted time that will be seen by all for transparency. A prompter will be used for time-keeping.
After
all is said and done, let the debate begin.
All the audio and video files of the exercise must be sent to the
national archives centres for references.
I wish Nigerians a free and fairer elections ahead. God bless NEDG. God
bless Nigeria.
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