The Nigerian Election Debates Groups, NEDG, comprising of media organisations, Non Governmental Organisations, NGOs, Civil Society Groups, CSO, and the Nigeria Bar Association among others are to stage debates for the 23 candidates vying for the Anambra governorship seat on November 16.

The chairman of NEDG, Aremo Taiwo Allimi in a news briefing on Thursday told journalists that though the debate will feature all the candidates from the various political parties in two segments and will also include a grand finale for the few candidates who will  emerge as the leading ones as chosen by registered voters in Anambra.

Allimi said, “NEDG is a non-partisan, non-political and independent group, designed to ensure that political debates become a permanent feature of Nigeria’s democracy and culture.

The debate is designed to present to Anambra state electorates the opportunity to have firsthand information on the plans of governorship candidates and the strategies of implementation before radio/TV and live audience.

“The debates will be issue based and issue driven, aimed at setting public agenda which may form the basis of policy formulation and direction of government. The debates would be transmitted around the country and globally through television, radio and webcasting,” he said.

The debates have been scheduled to hold on October 27 for all governorship candidates and October 29 for deputy governorship candidates, at the Women Development Center and will feature two sections -morning and afternoon.

Researchers from the group would through the registered voters in the state select the leading candidates who will participate in the grand finale which also comes up in two segments on October 31.

Allimi said all the candidates have expressed willingness to attend the debate and that the participating audience would be barred from wearing party branded clothes or cheering the candidates during the debateates.

The NEDG had last Tuesday met with chairmen of the political parties endorsed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to field candidates for the governorship elections, with the aim of getting their candidates to participate in the debates and to acquaint them with the rules of the game.