Professor Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Election Body, has stated that the commission lacks the authority to compel any election contender to participate in a debate.
Yakubu stated this at a quarterly consultative meeting with media executives in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Yakubu, debates are democratic rights that cannot be forced on any candidate, but there are “unspoken penalties” for those who do not attend, as reported by the Guardian.
“I’m not convinced we can compel someone to attend the debate,” he remarked. Yakubu said: That is not possible. In a democracy, you cannot compel someone to do anything, even in the most evolved countries. Deliberation, like voting, is a democratic right. We all know that the purpose of discussions is to educate citizens.
“However, there is an unstated repercussion for those who do not participate.” I also appreciate that some candidates would rather not attend in order to avoid making blunders that might turn voters away.
“However, we are pleased with the work of the election discussion group.” The media’s efforts in this area should be encouraged, but they should be unbiased, ” Yakubu said.
Yakubu said: “Many political parties have come to us to complain about not being invited to debate.” We had almost 70 presidential contenders in 2019, and now we have 18.
“I realise it will be tough to accommodate everyone all the way through, but we should try.”
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