Political economist and leadership advocate, Prof. Pat Utomi, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to make debates a central feature of Nigeria’s electoral process.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS monitored by The News Chronicle, Utomi said the electoral commission had a responsibility to organise debates that would enable Nigerians to properly assess candidates before voting.
He made the remarks while reflecting on South Korea’s political transformation, where, according to him, debates played a significant role in reducing the influence of moneybags in elections.
Utomi said South Korea’s early political system was characterised by practices similar to those currently experienced in Nigeria, including vote-buying and the dominance of powerful political figures.
He said the country’s electoral authorities later made political debates central to electioneering, forcing wealthy political actors to withdraw and creating room for more credible candidates to emerge.
He recalled that Professor Jega had narrated how South Korean electoral authorities told Nigerian counterparts that the decision to make debates central to elections helped reduce the influence of moneybags in politics.
Utomi said Nigeria could no longer continue to make excuses for the absence of effective electoral debates.
“We can’t continue to take that cop out. INEC has a burden, a responsibility to make sure that debates take place in our country,” he said.
The political economist also faulted the commission over what he described as its failure to effectively carry out its voter education mandate.
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According to him, INEC should educate Nigerians on the importance of voting and explain the dangers and illegality of accepting money in exchange for votes.
“It has the burden of explaining to people why taking money to vote for somebody is a crime. It has the burden, but INEC has consistently failed to execute in the interest of the Nigerian people,” he said.
Utomi called for a fundamental reform of the electoral commission, arguing that Nigeria must rethink how INEC operates if the country is to strengthen its democratic system.
“This needs to change. If we want to save this country, we need to retool INEC and the fundamental philosophy that governs how that institution operates,” he added.
