Commissioner Urges Gubernatorial Candidates to Explain Programmes and Defend Campaign Promises
Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, has backed the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council’s plan to organise a public debate for political candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Oyelade said candidates seeking elective offices should be ready to explain their programmes, answer questions and defend the promises they make to voters.
He described the initiative as part of the media’s responsibility to strengthen democratic participation and promote informed electoral choices.
“What the NUJ has done is to activate one of its principal mandates as the fourth estate of the realm to excite public interest in democratic exercise,” Oyelade said.
He argued that candidates should not rely solely on voters’ emotions while avoiding opportunities for public scrutiny.
“It is a circumvention of democratic tenet for anyone to believe that he can ride on the emotions of the masses, avoid the discomfort of a debate and get victory through the back door,” he said.
Oyelade urged the Oyo NUJ Council to make the debate compulsory for all candidates, particularly those seeking the governorship.
He also proposed that gubernatorial candidates who fail to attend should be publicly identified and subjected to what he described as the “court of public opinion.”
The initiative, tagged “Mother of All Debates,” is expected to involve candidates contesting governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives seats in Oyo State.
The debate is intended to provide voters with an opportunity to hear directly from candidates and assess their responses to key issues ahead of the elections.