By John Ikani
Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has perfected plans with a global economic think-tank to organise a series of presidential debates.
The debate which is set to debut on November 5th, 2022, is the first of its kind in the country and will involve the interrogation of frontline presidential candidates purely on their economic blueprints.
Organizers say the debate will be devoid of character assassination, tribe, religion and other mundane issues, with a view to letting candidates present their economic masterplans to a global audience.
Explaining the peculiarity of the debate, Mr Buki Ponle, the Managing Director of NAN said the frontline Presidential candidates will only deliver keynote address and let their economic team slug it out at the podium.
”The debates will encompass a battle of ideas and policy strategies among the economic teams of the top political parties in Nigeria with keynote addresses from the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates,” he said.
In other words, representatives of the parties’ economic management team, who are expected to be knowledgeable in the practice of economic development, global competitiveness and national transformation, will square up to one another to offer Nigerians and the global community, an insight into the immense possibilities for the country after next year’s general elections.
It is worthwhile to note that the debate comes at a time the war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic are taking a toll on businesses and livelihoods.
The nation is also collapsing under debt burden with inflation reigning supreme and the naira depreciating against the US dollar, forcing importers of goods and services to reflect changes in their prices.
