The governorship debate scheduled ahead of the August 15 Osun State election was cancelled after several leading candidates failed to attend, leaving organisers with no choice but to call it off.
The debate, initially planned for Saturday in Osogbo, was organized by broadcast stations in the state under the platform known as the Osun Media Governorship Debate.
It was expected to bring governorship candidates together to explain their plans and answer questions from the public before voters head to the polls.
The cancellation came barely a day after another debate hosted online by BBC Yoruba also failed to attract the participation of some of the leading contestants.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, were absent from that programme.
Saturday’s debate was initially fixed to begin at 3 p.m. with candidates expected to appear in person.
However, the event was later cancelled after the main contenders did not show up.
In a statement announcing the decision, the organizers said they were forced to cancel the debate because of security concerns and the unwillingness of some frontline governorship candidates to participate under the existing conditions.
Before the cancellation was announced, the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate, Olajide Esan, had already arrived at the venue.
He later criticized the candidates of the Accord Party, the APC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for failing to appear before voters.
Esan said candidates seeking to govern the state should be ready to publicly explain their programmes and answer questions from the electorate.
He argued that avoiding debates denied voters the opportunity to assess those asking for their support properly.
He also claimed that the parties that stayed away had been involved in the political system for years and had not provided lasting solutions to the challenges facing Osun State and the country.
The AAC candidate urged residents of the state, regardless of their religious background, to carefully study the candidates before voting.
He appealed to eligible voters to make good use of their Permanent Voter Cards by electing leaders they believe can tackle poverty and improve the lives of the people.
