Government Science Secondary School, Tunga Maji, Abuja, has emerged the winner of a closely fought Group C contest on Day 5 of the I Beg to Differ Season 9 National Debate Tournament.
The Abuja school defeated Straight Gate High School, Magodo Phase 2, Lagos, by just 0.9 points on Monday, scoring 74.7 points against 73.8.
The subject was: “Prisoners should be allowed to vote”
Straight Gate High School argued in favour of the motion, while Government Science Secondary School opposed the motion.
Representing the proposition were 16-year-old Owosina Grace and 14-year-old Uzoma Shine.
The opposition team featured 16-year-old Chikwere Ruth and 14-year-old Godwin Omanibe Agatha.
The proposition argued that imprisonment should restrict a person’s freedom of movement but should not automatically remove their political rights.
Grace and Shine also highlighted the large number of awaiting-trial inmates in Nigeria, arguing that disenfranchising people who have not been convicted amounts to denying them a fundamental democratic right.
The opposition maintained that conviction carries legal consequences and that people who violate the social contract may lose certain civic privileges.
The team also raised concerns about prison overcrowding and the practical challenges of conducting secure and secret elections in correctional facilities.
The debate went down to the wire, with Government Science Secondary School securing two of the three judges’ scorecards.
However, Straight Gate High School won the public vote, securing 58 percent, equivalent to 5.8 points, against 42 percent or 4.2 points for Government Science Secondary School.
Government Science Secondary School’s narrow victory strengthens its position in Group C of the national tournament.
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