Renowned political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make electoral debates a mandatory part of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Utomi made the call during an interview with Arise News, stressing that political debates give voters an opportunity to assess candidates beyond campaign promises and political rhetoric.
According to him, debates provide critical insight into the competence, preparedness, character and ability of candidates to connect with the electorate.
“I think that the effort must be made to encourage the signing of a peace accord, that tradition continues because it, in many ways, tells the electorate about the attitude of the candidates,” he said.
On debates, Utomi described them as “so, so very important,” citing the 1993 presidential election between the late MKO Abiola and Bashir Tofa as an example of how televised debates could influence voters.
“I can tell you without any equivocation, in 1993, what made the swing completely towards Abiola away from Tofa was the debate,” he said.
Utomi explained that debates allowed Nigerians to observe candidates directly and judge their demeanour, confidence, communication skills and understanding of national issues.
He advocated for more frequent debates, suggesting that candidates should participate in at least one debate every month in the period leading to an election.
“So debates are very important. I would even insist that we have one every month from now till election day because it gives deep insights into the candidates,” he said.
The political economist argued that candidates who are adequately prepared should have little reason to avoid debates, while those who lack knowledge of national issues could be exposed by the process.
“The candidates who are not well prepared, candidates who are not well, will tend to run away from debates,” he said.
Utomi, who recalled participating in efforts to study the American debate system in Washington in the 1990s, said his experience further reinforced his belief in the importance of debates in democratic elections.
He also recalled his participation in a presidential debate with former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2007, claiming that Buhari struggled to remain on point during the encounter.
Utomi said the outcome of elections could be influenced by factors beyond debates, particularly in Nigeria, where he argued that elections had not always been reliable instruments for determining the will of the people.
He, however, maintained that such challenges should not be used as an excuse to abandon best practices.
“We still can’t give up on the right way of doing things because the wrong ways have produced outcomes,” he said.
The political economist further argued that debates could help Nigeria develop a clearer national agenda by forcing candidates to address issues of national importance rather than focusing solely on their individual political interests.
“How do we define, in fact, for the people, not just the candidates, an agenda for the country?” he asked.
Utomi said the future of Nigeria’s young population should be at the centre of political discussions, warning that the country could face serious consequences if its growing youth population was not properly harnessed.
“We have to put the pressure on politicians now to focus on the young people of this country and how a demographic dividend can be extracted from the youth bulge,” he said.
He also blamed poor political leadership for Africa’s economic underdevelopment, arguing that politicians had failed to properly manage the continent’s resources and opportunities.
“If there’s one thing that is clear about the Nigerian experience is that politics has damaged the economy of Africa,” Utomi said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s economic trajectory, Utomi said he had expected the country to achieve a much higher level of prosperity by now.
He recalled that when he returned to Nigeria in 1982 after completing his PhD, he expected the country’s per capita income to reach about $30,000 by his 60th birthday.
“I turned 70, and it was around 1,000,” he said, attributing the shortfall largely to poor leadership and weaknesses in the electoral process.
Utomi also criticised INEC, saying the commission had a responsibility not only to facilitate debates but also to educate Nigerians about elections, voting and the dangers of vote-buying.
“INEC has a burden, a responsibility to make sure that debates take place in our country,” he said.
He called for a fundamental overhaul of the electoral commission, arguing that Nigeria must “retool INEC and the fundamental philosophy that governs how that institution operates.”
Utomi rejected the argument that debates were less useful because some voters lacked formal education.
According to him, Nigerians without university degrees could still possess significant political awareness, particularly through radio, television and other media platforms.
“Let’s not look at their certificates. Let’s create processes that bring them in to engage,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to demand greater accountability from political candidates and reject excuses from politicians who refuse to publicly defend their positions.
“Let’s not give excuses for people who are looking to show contempt to the Nigerian people by avoiding putting themselves before them to debate the issues that matter to them,” Utomi said.
He maintained that making debates a stronger and more consistent feature of Nigeria’s electoral system would give voters better information with which to make informed decisions and help raise the standard of political leadership in the country.
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