It is very much in Buhari’s interest to engage Jonathan in a public debate. I had written in a previous posting suggesting to GMB to challenge GEJ to a couple of debates. In other spheres of life the challenger is the one who wants to prove himself. World boxing champions are always dogging challengers but the challengers keep on asking for a tournament in order to prove that they are better than the reigning champions. In politics the same obtains. In most democracies the debate is the opportunity to lay in broad day light how one would govern; what things are important and HOW the projects would be financed.
Apart from the general outlay of goals and objectives (ways and means) the candidates lay out, GMB would gain in the following ways:
• In toe-to-toe debate GMB would show that he is at least as good as GEJ especially as his educational qualification is being doubted. He can demonstrate how quick he can be on his feet.
• GMB would show that he is quite healthy as he would be able to stand for the full hour without showing his age. This could erase the debate over his health.
• GMB would assure those who doubt his performance in world setting say UN or ECOWAS.
• The debate is not about satisfying the Ayo Ojutalayo’s , the Gumel’s, and those millions of his supporters. Those votes are already in his bag. It is about wooing the votes of the undecided, especially those who are concerned about his education and physical health. It is also about assuring his supporters that they made a wise choice.
• There are people who are looking for reasons to vote for him. He would use that opportunity to give them reasons to vote for him. It could be by just his looks, his demeanor, his “cool,” or some indefinable gestures.
Of course there are downsides to debating GEJ. If he does not have mastery of Nigerian issues he would be exposed.
If he committed a big gaffe it would ruin his chances and he may not recover from it.
If his health is bad and he shows evidence of his age it would be dangerous.
Etc.
GMB’s excuse that the moderator’s are stacked against him is a lame excuse that shows that he does not respect Nigerian citizens. He should trust that educated Nigerians would know when people become partisan or not. It is this population that he is trying to influence, not the mob that would be swayed by propaganda. This category would be convinced that GMB has something to hide by not debating. It is dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t. He should not worry about the mob. He should worry about the “elite.”
The risk is more on not debating than in debating.
But then I do not know what I do not know.
Written by Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba.
