Re: Do election debates really matter?

The United States of America, where we borrowed the presidential system of government from, have been practising election debates from the time of Abraham Lincoln till date. Nigeria has also started organising presidential election debates, but only literate and influential leaders and few others know its value. To many other Nigerians, such debates don’t make any meaning. Of what use is an election debate to the people in the rural areas? Most of them don’t even have electronic gadgets. They would rather face more important things than listen to election debates. So debates will not influence the outcome of elections in Nigeria.

In the USA, 90per cent of the people watch and understand the scene, so the debates can educate the public and thereafter influence the outcome of the election.

Whether President Muhammadu Buhari attends election debate in January 2019 or not, many analysts believe that history would repeat itself.