By: Femi-Adeniyi Joshua

The Alexander Brown Hall Literary and Debating Society (ABHLDS) on Wednesday, 27 November 2024 officially withdrew from the ongoing and future editions of the Literary and Debating Society of the University of Ibadan’s debate contest, Jaw War.

The action is a protest against what the constituencies – ABH, Clinical Science, Dentistry – considers a faulty judging process and organizational shortcomings.

Alexander Brown Hall Literary and Debating Society voiced frustration over what it described as a lack of transparency and fairness during the Hall Round of the competition.

ABHLDS was ranked the “third worst constituencies” of the night, a result it labeled “unexplainable and painfully ridiculous.”

While acknowledging that they are not in a position to challenge the judges’ decisions, the Society firmly asserted that it did not deserve to be ranked as one of the worst-performing constituencies of the night.

It also raised concern about the Literary and Debating Society (TLDS) constitutional refusal to allow constituencies access to judging sheets.

According to ABHLDS, this policy prevents teams from understanding the basis of their evaluations.

“We cannot fathom why TLDS refuses to allow constituencies to view the judging sheets, especially when so much effort and resources are invested by the speakers. This lack of a review process is detrimental and unhelpful,” the statement read.

The Society also questioned TLDS’s interpretation of Article 5, Section 8 of its constitution, which states that judges’ decisions are final.

ABHLDS argued that while the article ensures decisions cannot be contested, it does not justify the non-disclosure of judging criteria or scores.

ABH highlighted issues with the event’s timekeeper, who allegedly began timing speakers as they walked onto the stage rather than when they started speaking. It described this as a fundamental failure in event coordination.

ABH L&D described the withdrawal as a stance against what they termed “irrational and illogical” practices within the competition’s organization.

The Society also cited a derisive response from the TLDS Vice President when concerns were raised.

“The TLDS Vice President already told us that it was not her business if we were disgruntled,” this, they said, solidified their decision to withdraw not just from the 2024 edition but from all future editions of Jaw War.

ABHLDS emphasized that its decision was not a case of sour grape but a stand against flaws in the competition.

“We agree that our decision may come across as ‘sore losers,’ but we know that it does not reflect our true intent,” the statement affirmed.

As of the time of this report, the central Literary and Debating Society, UI is yet to issue an official response to the grievance.