By Maria Ifafesobi
Akure
Face the voter initiative, a coalition of civil society organizations, media, labor, professional bodies, and religious bodies in Ondo State on Monday has said that it had concluded all preparations to organize election debates for all the governorship candidates that will be contesting in the 10 October 2020 election in the state.
While speaking at a press conference at the NUJ press center in Akure the state capital, the Chairman of the Committee on the Election Debate, Dr. Gbenga Abimbola said the objective of the debate is to create a platform for effective interaction between the candidates and the people, and among the candidates in order to deepen political conversation.
He said “The goal of election debates is to promote political tolerance, constructive dialogue and selfless service to the people. Election debate provides a neutral platform where candidates of political parties are grilled by independent moderators on critical issues to enable the audience to compare the candidates’ positions on such issues.
“As a matter of fact, debates are often the only time during a campaign when candidates are together at the same time in the same place. Debates also seek to fill the gap created by the one-way communication model that characterizes campaigns whereby politicians only talk at the people without allowing people to ask questions”.
Dr. Abimbola also said that: “It is against this background that the FACE THE VOTER INITIATIVE is birthed by nonpartisan and independent Ondo State-based stakeholders in the civil society and the media. The FACE THE VOTER INITIATIVE, which draws membership from labor, professional bodies, CSOs, and other critical stakeholders, is an independent, nonpartisan, issue-based and value-adding platform specifically conceived and set up to stage an engagement among Gubernatorial candidates of different political parties and the electorate in healthy debates on radio, television, and digital channels prior to the election.
“The event, by intent and arrangement, is scheduled to be broadcast live on Radio and Television stations based in the state as well as on digital platforms. Two dates have been picked by the organizers: September 29 and October 4, 2020. Both sessions shall be held at the International Events Centre (The Dome), Akure”.
According to him, “the Independent National Electoral Commission and domestic/international observers are being invited to monitor the debates while security agencies shall be on ground to maintain law and order.
“The target audience is primarily the citizens of the Sunshine State who are going to elect a governor come October 10, 2020. To achieve a better understanding, the medium of engagement shall be in easily understood languages of English, Pidgin, and Yoruba. Apart from millions of viewers, listeners, and online followers that will monitor the debate all over the world, there shall be a live audience comprising critical stakeholders including the press and supporters of participating political parties selected on an equal proportion basis. The live audience shall be admitted strictly by invitation”.
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