Osun 2018 Challenge: Adeleke Absents Self From BBC Debate

By M.A. Animashaun

As a part of multi-stakeholder initiatives to deepen public engagement in the Osun 2018 gubernatorial election, the BBC Yoruba yesterday organised a public debate for candidates of competing political parties at the election. Five political parties featured in the debate and according to the organisers, the five were selected on the premise of their electoral prospects. The five parties are: ADC, ADP, APC, PDP and SDP. I was privileged to participate at the debate. While the candidate of PDP came towards the end of the programme, PDP candidate did not show up at the debate.

Environment of Discussion.

The atmosphere at the debate was friendly and candidates displayed open camaraderie. There were neither hate speeches nor indecorous language that are defining elements of vote mobilization at campaign rallies. But there is a sense in which the congenial environment could be attributed to the elitist nature of the forum radically different from the rabble rousing associated with open rallies.

Key Issues Debated
Candidates discussed many issues including education, health, award of public contracts, salary arrears, state debt profile, joint ownership of LAUTECH, public sector corruption and Diaspora rule.

Responses to Questions/Issues

Each of the candidates responded to questions with politeness but ADC and APC candidates demonstrated greater elegance and depth in their responses lacing their interventions with statistics. ADP candidate in his interventions gave the impression that the party can hardly be distinguished from APC. Indeed, the ADP candidate indirectly praised the achievements of the ruling APC in the state and stated that the major reason for his defection to ADP was the perceived injustice done to his Senatorial district (Osun West) by APC through denial of governorship ticket to the West district. SDP candidate was too casual in his responses to questions and did not display strong signs that he is hungry for the seat.

My Personal Rating Of Candidates

ADC 58, ADP 50, APC 65, ADP 45.

APC candidate’s responses to contentious questions on issues such as debt profile, rule by diasporans and modulated salaries were remarkable. He was calm in the face of attempts by some members of the audience to provoke him

With the BBC Debate, nothing radically has changed from my initial prediction that APC may win the election except that its margin of victory over PDP may be expanded if PDP candidate continues to ignore public engagements like the debate to sell his message.

Those managing his campaigns are not doing him any good if they continue to advise him that he does not need to attend public discussions to win election. That may be true. But if per providence, he wins the crucial election, he can not be shielded from public interface.

There are two more debates ahead before the election by Channels Television (September 16) and TVC (September 20). PDP candidate MUST participate in the two sessions to enhance his electoral prospects.

Animashaun M.A is of the Department of Political Science, Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria.