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Political economist and leadership advocate, Prof. Pat Utomi, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to make election debates a central part of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Utomi made the remarks during an interview on Arise News, where he argued that debates are essential for enabling voters to properly assess candidates, their policies and leadership capacity ahead of elections.
He cited South Korea as an example of how election debates could help reduce the influence of money in politics. According to Utomi, the country’s early political environment shared similarities with Nigeria’s “cash-and-carry” culture before electoral debates became more prominent.
“Looking at the South Korean example, whose early politics closely mirrored Nigeria’s ‘cash-and-carry’ culture, many believe debates helped save South Korea,” Utomi said.
He argued that when the electoral commission made debates central to electioneering, wealthy political actors had less influence over the process.
“When the electoral commission made debates central to electioneering, the moneybags withdrew,” he said.
Utomi accused INEC of failing Nigerians by not ensuring that debates form an integral part of the electoral process.
“INEC has failed Nigerians. We cannot keep holding elections without debates to properly assess candidates,” he said.
He also faulted the commission over its voter education responsibilities, arguing that INEC had not consistently acted in the best interests of Nigerian voters.
“INEC also has a mandate for voter education, but it has consistently failed to act in the interest of the Nigerian people. That must change,” he added.
The comments come ahead of the 2027 general elections, amid calls for greater scrutiny of political candidates and increased access to information that can help voters make informed choices.
