Nigeria Election Debate Group Releases Timetable For Presidential Debates

The Nigeria Elections Debate Group on Monday in
Abuja said the 2015 presidential debates would hold
between January 28 and February 5.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NEDG, Mr
Sola Omole, disclosed this to newsmen after a
meeting of the board, hosted by the former
Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief
Raymond Dokpesi.
Omole said that the Directors-General of the
Presidential Campaign Organisations of the 14
participating political parties would open the floor
on January 28.
This, according to him, will be followed by the
Vice-Presidential debates, billed for January 29.
He said the debates involving the presidential
candidates would hold in two sessions and would
climax on February 5.
Omole said the group had contacted all the parties
involved, adding that they all support the idea.
"We believe that debates are very important
components of the democratic process aimed at
giving the candidates the opportunity to speak
directly to Nigerians.
"We want the Nigerian community to get used to
the business of debating issues and we feel that
this is a very strong part of building that culture.
"We have met with all the political parties, those we
couldn't meet directly, we contacted their senior
officials and they are very supportive of the
initiative," he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that NEDG is a
coalition of broadcast, civil society and professional
organisations, committed to deepening the
country's democracy.
It is also aimed at entrenching an enduring
democratic culture through organised television
debates since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
NEDG has put together the presidential debates to
give the Nigerian electorate an opportunity to hear
directly from all the presidential candidates.
Courtesy: nairaland news
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