…Says platform opportunity for candidates to sell manifestos

By JOB OSAZUWA

Chairman, Board of Trustees, Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG), Mr. Sola Omole, has disclosed that presidential debate will hold on March 22.

Omole, who stated this yesterday during a visit to The Sun Publishing Limited, Lagos office, said the debate was designed for the candidates for the March 28 presidential election.

The NEDG chairman, who is also the chairman of Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), said his visit to The Sun was not as the Nigerian Television Authority’s (NTA) boss, but only acting in the capacity of NEDG chairman, to discuss issues surrounding the debate and its relevance in the election build up.

According to him, irrespective of whoever was providing the platform for the debate, the candidates should use the opportunity to sell their programmes to the electorate. He said the objective of the debate was to institute the culture of debating issues as strong component of democratic experience in Nigeria, stressing that it was one that all contestants needed to take full advantage of.

He said: “NEDG has been around for the past seven years and we have done debates around the country. I believe we need to seek understanding and support from media houses so that we can generate some awareness around the debate.”

When asked if he had gotten the backing of all the presidential candidates, he stated that it was a work in progress.

“We are to write to all the political parties and solicit their support. To be frank, as at now, all other parties minus All Progressives Congress (APC) have indicated interest that they would participate. We are still going to visit the APC and put the card on the table before them. But whatever they say, it is certain that we are going to do it,” he said.

On the opposition protest over a hate documentary on NTA, the NEDG chairman explained that the documentary was only a sponsored programme, paid for, adding that the station’s responsibility was to make information available to the audience, irrespective of content or source, but striving to maintain integrity. He described it as a difficult situation, but said the station broadcast information from all political parties in Nigeria without discrimination.

Omole said he could not be held responsible if any of the parties did not show up at the debate, stressing that the duty of the group was to provide an equal platform for all candidates to showcase themselves.

“I cannot say because one person might not come and then we shut down the whole process. The loser in that kind of proposition is the Nigerian population. The platform we are rendering would allow the electorate to make a knowledgeable decision. The questions we would ask candidate A are the same we would ask candidate B. We would run it in three sections; 12pm to 2pm, 3pm to 5pm and 7pm to 9pm. ”

He said the group was already working on the process of making election debates to become an integral part of Nigeria’s democratic experience, calling on the candidates to grab the benefits of the debate, adding that the media was only setting the agenda for discourse.

“I believe politicians should make use of every opportunity they get, to convince the electorate why they must vote them into power. This is the biggest platform for the candidates; because it would be broadcast live throughout Nigeria and outside the country,” he said.


http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=107261

Did 2011 debate solve nigeria problem? Debate is the wasting of tym,enegy and nigeria money
Debate cann't solve nigeria problem

but we need person that can solve it

which is major G muhammadu B and

osinbajo

NEDG is still seeking relevance?

Nice.... Debates expose the intellectual capacity of a candidate.President Jonathan is physically and mentally ready to debate !!!

If there's anything that gives Buhari heart attack, it is debates and certificates.

This is enough to make him travel back to the UK.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2049436_img20150120213204_jpegfac2c1058ec9c09d613094aeb0348f13

Good, waiting for Buhari and APC to give foolish excuse for boycott.



COWARDS.

.

jokers.
let the clueless one go and debate himself like 2011.
the clubless one can moderate.

No be to make noise for London.
This is the the real thing.





#BuhariMustDebate

Good.
Though Mallam Buhari will boycott asusual.
He will keep contesting for presidency till death.
Perhaps he will contest under PDP in 2019.
In GEJ we trust.

OrlandoOwoh:
NEDG is still seeking relevance?

#BuhariMustDebate

Skako:
Debate cann't solve nigeria problem

we need person that can solve it

which is major G muhammadu B

Then let him tell us HOW he will go about it. What's hard there?

Meanwhile £1 is still N300 at central bank of Nigeria, & N320 at the bureau de change.
Which way Naija?

They should take a cue from what the supporters of both parties did on channels debating and telling us how their party intend to solve issues in nigeria...

I don't see any reason why GMB shouldn't debate, since its going to be televised live and he has the opportunity to say whatever he wants to say, I would say GMB should beat PDP/GEJ at their own game, since they (APC) believe the group organising the debate is pro PDP...IMO

GMB will run even faster dan Usain Bolt. He wud rather prefer town hall meeting or anoda trip 2 London 4 rest.
Baba shd not run away dis time ooo, he shd come n tell us n his supporters his plans 4 Nigerians ooo.
He who fails 2 plan; plans 2 fail.

SO GMB should come before gangaroo debate being organized by the stake holders in NTA and AIT abi?
GMB WILL HOLD AN EMERGENCY NATIONAL DISCUSSION AFETR HIS PRESENDIAL VICTORY ON 28TH MARCH 2015.
SHALOM!SHALOM!!

NEDG again?? Nah!! PDP trying to play their last card before elections. All they want to do is give their supporters something to talk about before the election because they know APC won't agree to their debate

Longeria:
Good, waiting for Buhari and APC to give foolish excuse for boycott.



COWARDS.

majority is not bother again,about debate,we already know what buhari wil do,and what gej can do,i don't need anybody to deceive me with debate,this ur 'i will president' is a complete failure.chai he debate with himself in 2011,and he promise u 14,100mwatt of light before 2013,where is it now,i can be deceive once,not twice.

Will Ait/Nta be among d sponsors of the debate?

So u expect GMB or any APC candidate to grace such sham of a debate with anchors from NTA and AIT?

Besides both GMB and Osinbajo have been on street debate where d real electorate ll air deir views directly. (Street campaigns and town hall meetings)

dein77:


Then let him tell us HOW he will go about it. What's hard there?

we already know what he wil do.

GODDYGEE91:
GMB will run even faster dan Usain Bolt. He wud rather prefer town hall meeting or anoda trip 2 London 4 rest.
Baba shd not run away dis time ooo, he shd come n tell us n his supporters his plans 4 Nigerians ooo.
He who fails 2 plan; plans 2 fail.

that is how gej plan to fail in 2011,i don't even have light to watch it

[s]

Skako:
Debate cann't solve nigeria problem

we need person that can solve it

which is major G muhammadu B

[/s]Buhari MUST come and tell us how he intends to stabilize world crude oil price,and how he intends to secure our economy using the Army and other security agencies as he said.

Jesusloveyou:
we already know what he wil do.

How? Pls tell us!

[size=14pt]I support Buhari to shun any Debate organized by NTA Boss.

If goodluck is interested in real debate.

Let him ask BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera to lead it.

All the character assasination being championed on NTA and AIT does not prove him(NTA boss) to be an un-biased umpire.

Let NEDG organize a debate between goodluck and d-banj. or show a repeat of their 2011 drama.[/size]

[s]

OrlandoOwoh:
NEDG is still seeking relevance?

[/s]Tell the certificateless cow herder that he should come and clear air on how he intends to stabilize world oil price

dein77:


Then let him tell us HOW he will go about it. What's hard there?

read the manifesto

[s]

itetemi:
jokers.
let the clueless one go and debate himself like 2011.
the clubless one can moderate.

[/s]ediot

[s]

Demdem:
NEDG is a fraud. they should be ignored.

[/s]#BuhariMustDebate

NDPVF:
[s][/s]ediot

pdp paid agents,una dey cry.......take handkerchief

[s]

itetemi:



pdp paid agents,una dey cry.......take handkerchief

[/s]#BuhariMustDebate