The first in a series of town hall meetings for Nigeria’s 2023 election presidential candidates begins on Arise News at 7:30 pm today. The agenda includes both security and economic concerns.

Presidential candidates Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi from the Labour Party, and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) are expected to be in attendance.

Recall that since the release of the list of candidates for the presidential race by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerians have been very vocal about their desire for a presidential debate among all candidates.

All I want is the media @ARISEtv @channelstv @GOLDTV_net and others to organize a presidential debate with all presidential candidates to tell us what they have. @YeleSowore ,@PeterObi ,@atiku ,@officialABAT ,@KwankwasoRM to know how ready and prepared they're to serve Nigeria

— Ekanem Godswill (@EkanemGodswill2) October 2, 2022

Any presidential candidate who does not grant interviews to local and foreign media outlets, or participate in the presidential debate is not fit to be president of Nigeria.

Am I communicating?

— Chijioke Emeka Onyeaduru. (@EmekaOnyeaduru) September 16, 2022

Nonetheless, with a history of no-show presidential aspirants in Nigeria, it is essential to ask if presidential debates are an efficient means to assess presidential aspirants, if they influence electoral outcomes, and if presidential aspirants should be mandated by law to participate in live debates.

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In 2019, the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) convened Nigeria’s first televised live presidential debate.

Leading aspirants, President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party shunned the debate, leaving only Kingsley Moghalu of the Young People’s Party (YPP), Fela Durotoye of Alliance of New Nigeria (ANN) and Oby Ezekwesili of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) present.

Later in November 2019, Kadaria Ahmed hosted #NGTheCandidates, a 4-part presidential townhall series, with four presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Abdulfatai Buhari, Senator, Oyo North, had in 2016, lead the second reading of a bill proposed to establish the Nigeria Political Parties Debate Commission “with the responsibility to organise and conduct public debates for candidates aspiring for the offices of the president, vice president, governor, and deputy governor in Nigeria.”

Senator Abdulfatai Buhari Leads The debate for a Bill to provide for the establishment of the nigeria Political Parties Debate Commission pic.twitter.com/8S6SC94mOm

— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) October 18, 2016

This year, calls for a presidential debate between leading candidates –Tinubu, Abubakar, Obi and Kwankwaso – have ensued, but will Nigeria’s next president show up?

In the past weeks, candidates have been under even greater public scrutiny, with citizens demanding consistent updates on candidates’ activities and whereabouts.

Are Presidential Debates Necessary?

Across the world, presidential debates are becoming an essential part of the electioneering process, and Nigerians are demanding for them.

Widespread views on the presidential debate on social media seem to agree that it is necessary to assess the candidates and help citizens make informed decisions in the forthcoming elections.

Change.org Nigeria shared a petition to mandate presidential candidates to engage in debates. The petition was initiated by Zams Abasiryu in July and currently has over two thousand signatures.

According to Abasiryu, “almost all the political parties have conducted their primaries and filed their candidates. The question is who vetted these candidates and what do they have to offer? There is no disputing the importance of giving voters the opportunity to hear candidates discuss and debate key issues prior to elections”.

He further stated that he was “calling on INEC to collaborate with media houses and conduct at least three presidential debates between all the flag bearers of the political parties. This would go a long way in enlightening  and assisting the electorate to make informed decisions when choosing the next president who will determine our future for the next 4 years”.

However, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said on October 26, that the commission had no authority to compel any candidate running in an election to participate in a debate.

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How Effective are Presidential Elections for Evaluating Presidential Candidates?

Presidential debates are not a new concept in Nigeria. In every election cycle, debates are conducted.

In 1993, Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) and Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) participated in Nigeria’s first presidential debate.

Almost three decades later, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, described political debates as a “yardstick to help the electorate make informed decisions in the process of recruiting public officers” at the 12th Anniversary Symposium of Enough Is Enough Nigeria (EiE). He stated that “late Chief MKO Abiola won the 1993 presidential election at a debate held ahead of the election”.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, citizens are pressing for presidential debates.

How Much Influence Do Presidential Debates Have on Electoral Outcomes?

The infographic below illustrates whether or not presidential debates influence electoral outcomes.

Presidential debates have had little influence on voter decisions and electoral outcomes over the years. However, in the run-up to the 2023 general election, there has been an increase in citizen demand for a debate among candidates, particularly on social media.