EDITORIAL: Discourses On Democracy

THE BBC Yoruba Service and Arise television are to be commended for providing platforms for what analysts have correctly described as ‘discourses on democracy’.  It ought to matter. Since 1959 when presidential candidates John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon jousted in a series of debates, the format has become entrenched in elections.

Arise analyst in a review of the debate politely described the debate amongst the State of Osun governorship candidates on Wednesday as “ fair but not outstanding”. This appears to be the assessment in conventional wisdom.

Another Arise analyst, Waziri Adio, described the candidate of the SDP as “outstanding” he also felt that the nonattendance of the PDP’s Ademola Adeleke will not adversely affect his chances in the election. 

Honourable mention has also been made about the performance of the candidate of the SDP with his emphasis on new technologies led economy and that of Labour Party’s   Lasun Yusuf who emphasised the potential of the state’s agro-economy.

Obviously, reflecting the disorder in Nigeria’ skewed economy and it’s defective federal set up much was missing in analytical rigour. A good example is the opportunities provided with the exploitation of the state’s gold resources. Sadly, the fixation was on gold as a resource as opposed to value – addition. This means that no lessons have been learned from the disaster of crude oil and the tragedy of the ‘resource course’.  As one of the reviewers pointed out without inter meditation “ how can you build an economy around a resource?”

This is why the immense potential of the value addition in the long-established Cocoa sector has not been fully exploited. This is burdensome. For the world post COVID and the Russia and Ukraine war will place more emphasis on the sub nationals and the local government levels more than ever before. This structural imbalance in our set up must be reconstructed. Shows that it is still a long way to Uhuru.

As we look forward to the final debate to be organised by Channels TV on Sunday, we ask that the contestants up – the – ante and that the audience pay keen attention as they choose to vote wisely.