Special Report: No Plan For Any Governorship Debate In Sight Ahead Ekiti Election  

By Editorial 

ADO-EKITI — With the Ekiti State governorship election drawing closer, a familiar campaign fixture is conspicuously missing from the calendar: the governorship debate. 

Less than six days to the polls, no media organisation, civil society coalition, or electoral body has announced plans to host a debate between the leading candidates. 

The silence marks a sharp departure from 2018 and 2022, when televised debates in Ado-Ekiti helped shape public discourse and gave voters a side-by-side look at policy positions.

The missing platform:

In past election cycles, debates were organised by a consortium of broadcast stations and groups like the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State chapter, and the Situation Room. They became flashpoints for accountability. Candidates were pressed on Ekiti’s N57 billion debt profile, unemployment, and the state’s dependence on federal allocations.

This year, organisers say the logistics have stalled. 

“Talks were held in April with three of the major parties,” said a senior editor at a private radio station in Ado-Ekiti who asked not to be named because negotiations are still fluid. “But we could not get firm commitments on dates. One campaign said their candidate would only attend if all others confirmed. Another cited security concerns.” 

The Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Ekiti Chapter, confirmed that no member station currently has a debate scheduled. A particular view in Ekiti State recently noted that debates are not mandatory under the Electoral Act, stating that the Electoral Umpire can only play an observer role even when the civil society groups organise them.

Campaigns keep it close:

For the parties, the calculation is different. A media aide to one of the frontrunners revealed that rallies and ward tours are “more direct” than debates. “Our candidate is meeting voters where they are. Debates can turn into shouting matches that distract from our message,” the aide said.

Another campaign insisted they are “open to a credible platform” but alleged that some proposed organisers have shown partisan leanings. Opposition parties counter that incumbents often dodge debates to avoid defending their records.

The result is a vacuum. Without a joint platform, policy scrutiny has shifted to solo radio interviews and social media broadcasts where candidates are not challenged in real time by opponents.

Voters notice the gap:

At Oja Oba market, opinions are split. Temitope Adeosun, a teacher, said debates helped her decide in 2022. “When you hear them answer questions on salaries and education side by side, you see who is prepared. Now we only get slogans.”

But Kolawole Ajayi, a commercial driver, disagrees. “Debate is grammar. What we need is who will fix roads and make fuel cheaper. They can write it in a manifesto.”

Civil society groups warn that the absence weakens accountability. “Debates are not for entertainment,” said Dr. Funke Adeyemi of the Ekiti Democratic Network. “They force candidates to move beyond posters and speak to data. When there is no debate, misinformation fills the space.”

What happens next?:

With the election clock ticking, the window for organising a debate is narrowing. Broadcast stations cite the cost of live production and the difficulty of securing a neutral venue as barriers. Security agencies have also not released guidelines for such gatherings.

Unless a last-minute coalition emerges, Ekiti voters may head to the polls without seeing their governorship hopefuls share a stage. For a state that prides itself on being the “Land of Honour and Integrity,” the missing debate is becoming a campaign issue of its own.