Of course I watched the debate, how would I live up to my self-described status as an ‘election junkie’ if I didn’t? I have written about how I stared at the television screen in horror in the early hours of June 28thwhen President Joe Biden imploded during his debate with ex-President Donald Trump.  It was excruciatingly painful to watch.

On September 10th (early hours of September 11th our time) I stared at the screen for other reasons as I went through different emotions – awe, shock, disbelief and exhilaration. I also jumped up and down and ‘cackled’ – the word that is often used to describe the joyful laugh of my favoured candidate. For ninety minutes, I was able to take my mind off the tribulations around me and the pressing concerns at my own doorstep – the unbelievable cost of fuel, the runaway prices of food and the apprehensive look in the eyes of aides who have come for money for something that now costs almost triple what it cost last.

There are a lot of opinions about whether political debates make a difference or if they are necessary. In a struggling democracy like ours, many believe that since only a minority of citizens have access to televisions, debates are not only elitist, they are totally irrelevant to the interests of the vast majority of citizens who are either urban poor or live in remote rural areas, yet constitute the bulk of registered voters. Those who have access to televisions and social media might play a role in airing opinions, but their preferences might not make much of a difference since they either do not have the numbers to make a difference or are simply unqualified to be a part of the process since they are not registered voters. 

The first live Presidential debate in Nigeria was held on January 19th 2019, organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, with the support of civil society organisations led by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC). Five Presidential aspirants were invited to the debate – incumbent President Muhammadu Buari (APC) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Dr Oby Ezekwesili (ACPN), Mr Fela Durotoye (ANN) and Dr Kingsley Moghalu (YPP).

Only three of the five candidates showed up for the debate, the two who did not appear were those from the major political parties contesting the election, including the ruling party. It was interesting to listen to the ideas of those who took the time to prepare and attend the debate, but it felt like buying a ticket to attend a concert, only for the headliner to refuse to appear and send in back-up singers and dancers as a replacement. As great as their insights were, none of those on the debate stage stood a chance of winning the election, and those who did were not interested in making themselves available.

An attempt to host a Presidential Debate in the run up to the 2023 elections met with the same fate – candidates of the leading parties were reluctant to attend, so the debate was called off.  There have been a number of successful Gubernatorial debates, but watching them, you get the sense that most of them would rather be somewhere else. One Gubernatorial candidate did not bother to hide his disdain for the process by saying something along the lines of, ‘my voters do not watch television and have no batteries for their radios’.

He was probably right, but that is not the point. Political debates are meant to be a critical part of the democratic process, an opportunity for the electorate to assess the wares on display, listen to policy positions and strategiesto address issues of concern to them, and make informed (or eventually, uninformed) decisions. Even if the television viewersor those on social media are indeed a minority, they help shape public opinion and hold the key to various modes of documentation for posterity.

In countries like the United States, political debates are unavoidable and indispensable. Political fortunes can rise or fall on the strength of a debate. Winning a debate is absolutely no guarantee of electoral victory – Hillary Clinton won all three debates she had with Donald Trump in 2016 and still lost the election. However, flunking a high-stakes debate does not help either – Governor Michael Dukakis was favoured to win the Presidency in 1988 when he was up against George Bush Snr.

Capital Punishment was one of the key issues at that time, and Governor Dukakis was a well-known opponent of the death penalty. During the debate, he was asked the hypothetical question of what he would do if his wife was raped and murdered, would he still be against the death penalty then? His rambling, impersonal response ended his Presidential chances. On June 27th 2024, the abysmal performance of President Joe Biden against his opponent ex-President Trump, forced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. It became obvious to even his most ardent supporters that there was no way he could run against ex-President Trump and win in November 2024.

I curled up in bed with a bowl of mixed nuts and a glass of ‘low-sugar’ Amstel malt, ready for the rumble between the two political titans of the day. When Kamala Harris walked past her podium to go up to Donald Trump and offer him a handshake and introduce herself, I squealed in delight. When I run sessions on Public Speaking, I tell my audience, the first thing you need to do is ‘own the room’. Kamala took ownership of the debate space by being assertive (she offered a handshake even though her opponent was wary of receiving it but he had no choice) polite (she introduced herself) appropriate (she was immaculately dressed with no distractions) and eye contact.

For upcoming political leaders who might be used to a culture of adhoc operations, there are many lessons to be learnt from this encounter. Information had been coming in through the campaigns of the two Presidential aspirants. From the camp of Kamala Harris, we learnt that she had been in Pittsburgh, the city of the debate, for at least five days. She was locked up with her team in debate preparation, going over differentscenarios with a Donald Trump look-alike, and practicing how she would respond to her opponent. This was her first Presidential nominee debate so she had a lot to learn.

Her years of experience as a Prosecutor, Attorney-General, Senator and Vice-President were useful, but she had not been in a debate with Donald Trump before. They had never even met. From the camp of Donald Trump, we gathered that his preparations were more informal, and he was counting on his several debate outings with not only his former Republican rivals, but in Presidential races, against Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. President Trump arrived Pittsburgh just two hours before the debate. Not only had Kamala Harris had an opportunity to immerse herself in disciplined preparations, she took a tour of the debate venue that afternoon to familiarise herself with the look and feel of the room.

From the moment Kamala Harrisconfidently took ‘ownership’ of the room, she was on a roll. Both candidates had their policy strengths and vulnerabilities and enough to push each other on and enlighten the audience about what they would do better or differently. The main questions from the ABC TV moderators covered the defining issues of this 2024 campaign – the economy, immigration, women’s reproductive rights and freedoms, foreign policy and climate change.

What won the debate for Vice-President Kamala Harris, was not just her grasp of the issues (she was clear, inspirational and passionate) but her ability to bait and needle her opponent.  It was done with such skill that poor ex-President Trump ended up looking and sounding pretty much like President Biden in June – old, incoherent and out of touch. In contrast, Kamala Harris looked Presidential.The feedback from the various constituencies who watched the debate was almost unanimous and merciless, even from his own camp. Now, ex-President Trump has refused another debate with Vice-President Harris. No surprise there. As stated earlier, debates are not a guarantee of electoral success, but a debate win does not hurt.

Just as the debate wrapped up on September 10th, the global music superstar, Taylor Swift, rewarded Kamala Harris with an endorsement in a detailed Instagram post. There can be arguments back and forth about the relevance of celebrity endorsements, after all, a great number of Hollywood stars backed Hillary Clinton in 2016. Yet, in a tight racethat might be decided by a couple of thousand votes in swing States, having someone with 283 million Instagram followers in your corner can only help.

With just that one post from Taylor Swift, over 400,000 people clicked on voter registration links, and many of them might be young voters from her oceanic fan base who will be voting for the first time.  Taylor Swift posted her message carrying her beautiful cat, and signed off as ‘Childless Cat Lady’. This was an obvious dig at Vice-Presidential nominee Senator J.D Vance, and is a lesson about the importance of emotional intelligence for political leaders.Senator Vance might do well to be more guarded with his ultra-conservative utterances when he debates Governor Tim Walz in the Vice-Presidential debates coming up soon. 

Even though she won the debate by miles, and has a slight lead in the polls, it is obvious that Kamala Harris has a lot of work to do. She has to fight many battles – the Biden-Harris policy challenges they will blame her for, being up against someone who actually had the job before, and the unspoken sense that there are still many people of all races and genders, who do not see someone like her in the White House, no matter how knowledgeable and accomplished she is.

November is round the corner, so we will know soon. Whatever happens, I was energized and inspired on September 10th, and I look forward to a time when all citizens here in Nigeria will consider a political debate a priority. If you want a job, you apply and you attend an interview organised by your potential employers and answer their questions. It is as simple as that.

•Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She is the First Lady of Ekiti State, and she can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com