The campaign for Anambra state governorship election in November is gathering momentum.
Public debate for elective positions has become part of the electoral process which many Nigerians argue helps the electorate assess the candidates properly before taking a decision ahead of the election.
Unfortunately the interesting and enlightened practice is gradually being undermined due to reluctance and disregard by some candidates of political parties who often give excuses why they do not want to participate.
It is necessary to point out that public debate is an important platform for marketing candidates and projecting them to the media space, especially on television and radio station network, by which perhaps is why it features prominently in the advanced countries of the world.
These Western countries appreciate the great influence and necessity of intellectual excellence and experience in handling the complexity in public administration.
This demands that a candidate should go the extra mile in being properly acquainted with the nitty-gritty of national and international issues as well as keep pace with global best practices in order to understand and remain relevant in fast changing social system and emerging new order.
Therefore, it is necessary to prioritize public debate for all the elective political offices. There is no doubt that election debate increases political awareness and enlightenment of the electorate in addition to fostering transparency and accountability by successful political candidates who during the debate commit and defend their manifestos.
Good governance stems from proper democratic structures and a situation where political structure is manipulated for certain sentiments, the elected officials may not appreciate the strategic importance of inclusive governance in driving people oriented administration.
Inclusive governance, equity , fairness, justice and respect for rule of law are central to social, economic and political growth and sustainable development. These are often presented, debated and defended by candidates of political parties during public debates.
In the evolving and developing economies and democracies like Nigeria, lack of sufficient information about political aspirants heightens the menace of “god fatherism” which sometimes gives opportunity to people who without intellectual capacity to manage public trust and institutions to emerge, which in turn weakens transparency and accountability in governance and often derail effective decision-making processes.
Access to information through debates between or among candidates can significantly improve voter education and increase democratic participation as
they can determine the ability of each candidate to deliver quality governance in line with constitutional responsibilities. Electing the right candidate will improve the quality of governance and standard of living of the masses.
Governance in Anambra state should be for bright minds and people who have achieved great mileage in intellectual field and administrative excellence because the twenty-first century society is evolving into complexities in human capacity and material resources management.
Anambra state is fortunate to have Governor Chukwuma Soludo who has justified the confidence reposed in him
POLYCARP ONWUBIKO
