There's been lots of discussion around town about a Presidential debate... should it happen? Will it happen? Who should moderate? Who should lead? Which parties should participate? Etc.

Well, the BBC, among others, had planned a debate... according to the BBC rules and editorial control. Sounds like a good idea, right? Well, it had to be canceled after the ruling All People's Congress (APC) suddenly changed their mind and declined to debate with the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) flagbearer. The reason stated... "I don't want to appear on stage in a debate with a man who is lawless and disrespectful". Hmmm, aren't they all!!

Anyway, after the news of the cancellation made the rounds... a Nigerian lead organization, AIT, came forward and organized their own series of debates... starting with the the running mates and VP of the APC.

I went to the debate for the VP position... and this is what I wrote on Facebook after getting home.

Vice-Presidential debate debacle...
Tonight's debate, run by a Nigerian broadcast company (AIT) along with some "in name only" organizations was a washout. Only two out of the nine candidates showed up... noticeably absent were Sam Sumana from APC and Kadie Sesay from SLPP.
The two candidates who did appear were from the PLP and UDM... and provided, in my opinion, very poor answers to the long-win

ded and often unintelligible questions.
I left early... only to discover that the broadcast went "off" just before the candidates were announced. But, not before the Nigerian consultant read a letter from SLPP expressing their regret that they couldn't make the debate because of prior commitments. Strange things... Strange goings-on... and ultimately totally embarrassing for the organizers and for Sierra Leone. S/