Debate is said to be a neutral, dignified forum where political party leaders or candidates competing for elected office respond to the same questions posed by voters, a moderator, panellist or rival debaters, thereby providing viewers and listeners the opportunity to compare directly the candidates’ positions on issues.

Since the return of democratic structures in 1999, Plateau State have remained a theatre of sorts, where a number of bizarre and extreme political measures have been experimented; churning outcomes in unusual proportion which has continued to threaten and shake it right to its rocky crust.

Debate is said to be a neutral, dignified forum where political party leaders or candidates competing for elected office respond to the same questions posed by voters, a moderator, panellist or rival debaters, thereby providing viewers and listeners the opportunity to compare directly the candidates’ positions on issues.

Since the return of democratic structures in 1999, Plateau State have remained a theatre of sorts, where a number of bizarre and extreme political measures have been experimented; churning outcomes in unusual proportion which has continued to threaten and shake it right to its rocky crust.

From the declaration of emergency rule in 2004 on the State by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, to the lingering ethno-religious unrest that has further marked the State out in the last 14 years; the dynamics in the State are not short of a case study for any political analysis.

As the February 2015 general election approaches with so much in the offing, the million-dollar question however is who will govern the eventful State when Governor Jonah Jang bows out in May 29, 2015?

Hence the need for a debate for the gubernatorial candidates in Plateau State, come 25th, January, 2015.

The forthcoming debate will afford citizens of the State the opportunity to have all the in the same place at a time.

It will provide Plateau people the rare opportunity to make side by side comparisons of the candidates.
This will also allow candidates to make the case for why they are best suited for the governorship and present their positions on public policy issues.

Also, in the course of this debate, the candidates will reveal the leadership style and personal qualities they would bring if elected into office.
A public opinion survey conducted after a series of debates held in 2011, by the Jamaica Debate Commission, quantified the role that debates can play in informing voters: Some 70% of the viewing and listening audience said the debates helped clarify candidates’ positions.

The culture of debate prevents violence.

According to James Williams, who is the Secretary General of Sierra Leone Guild of Newspaper Editors, on the civil war that ravaged Sierra Leone for over a decade, “We fought a senseless war for 11years. We destroyed every piece of our society. If we had the culture of debate we would not have to war; people would not have lost their lives”.

The Debate which is organized by Plateau Debate Group, comprising Movement for Plateau Heritage, Plateau Intelligentia and Viewpointnigeria will foster pledge of non-violence by the candidates.

These were the words of Raila Odinga a Presidential candidate in the 2012 Kenyan polls, during a debate, “We are all saying that we don’t want a repeat of 2008 violence in this country. We have said as CORD that we will accept the results of the elections, if we are defeated, we will accept defeat. If there are any complaints, we will go to court”.

These are the kinds of pledges we expect from our candidates in the forthcoming Plateau Gubernatorial Debate.

The positive environment that is expected to be created by the debate stands in sharp contrast to campaign rallies, where candidates are prone to use more aggressive and less substantive to please diehard party supporters.

It is also expected that during debates of such nature, a candidate’s statement, policy positions and campaign promises becomes part of public record. So that once a winning candidate takes office, the Plateau People, the media and civic organisations can hold them to account by citing transcripts, videos or press coverage of debates.

Debates are increasingly seen both domestically and internationally as benchmarks of a healthy and maturing democracy.
The Plateau Gubernatorial Debate will focus on some thematic areas ranging from education, health, agriculture, among others.

Beshi Huboshi is a journalist for ViewPointNigeria – he writes from Jos, Plateau State

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Why Plateau People Deserve a Gubernatorial Debate – Beshi Huboshi