Former senator representing Ekiti
Central Senatorial District at the red chamber and Special Adviser to Former President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has hinted on how he pushed for a bill that will mandate candidates aspiring to be president of Nigeria to appear in a live debate which will be broadcast live on national televisions while he was at the Senate.
Ojudu made this revelation at the capacity-building legislative workshop held at the Nelson Mandela Hall, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State on Friday under the theme: ‘From Initiatives to Laws: Legislative Competence in a Dynamic World.’ The event was organised by the AAUASU Students’ Representative Council.
Citing the impediments to the sailing through of the bill, Ojudu affirmed that the bill was thrashed into the dustbin of history by his incompetent, intellect-deficient and selfish colleagues who felt that such bill, if passed, could serve as an albatross to their future ambitions to become president.
“While I was at the Senate, I initiated a bill that will mandate all presidential aspirants to face one another in a debate which will be televised live by all national TVs nationwide. That development, I believe, would afford Nigerians the opportunity to weigh the intellectual competence of leaders aspiring to lead them and make informed choices therefrom,” Ojudu revealed.
“The bill, if passed, would also have established a National Debate Commission which will ensure the sustenance and continuity of the initiative and as well serve as a training platform for future Nigerian leaders.
“Unfortunately however, the bill was rejected by my opportunistic colleagues who felt such a bill could affect them in one way or the other, whether directly or indirectly. That was why I determined that I would not return to the Senate and I did,” Ojudu added.
Other eminent personalities who were present and dished out Ideas at the capacity-building legislative workshop include: Honourable Festus Akingbaso, MHR representing Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency (Represented by Dr Mrs Titilope Oriola); Dr Abbas Mimiko, gubernatorial candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (Represented by Mr Yusuf Rotimi); among others.
