Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Election Body, has stated that the commission lacks the authority to compel any contender to participate in a debate.
At the media executives' quarterly consultative meeting on Thursday in Abuja, Yakubu announced this.
Yakubu stated that candidates cannot be forced to participate in debates since they are democratic rights; nonetheless, he added that those who choose not to participate faced "unspoken penalties," as reported by the Guardian.
He said, “I am not sure we can compel someone to attend the debate. You cannot do that. Even in most advanced countries, you can’t compel someone to do anything in a democracy. Debate, just like voting, is a democratic right. We know debates are to make citizens be better informed.
“However, there is an unspoken consequence for candidates not participating. I also understand that some candidates prefer not to attend in order to avoid making mistakes that would drive voters from them.
“We are, however, happy with the job the election debate group is doing. The effort of the media in this aspect should be supported, but they should also be non-partisan.
“Many political parties have come to complain to us that they are not invited to debate. In 2019, we have over 70 presidential candidates and now we have 18.
“I know it will be difficult to take all over the along but we should try to accommodate them.”