By Faith Ajewole
The Faculty of Law Literary and Debating Society has submitted a formal letter to the Literary and Debating Society (TLDS), University of Ibadan, requesting an urgent and independent re-judging of their JAW WAR 2026 semi-final clash against the Faculty of Education.
The petition, signed by the LAW LND President, Chika Akachukwu, on September 17, 2026, contains their expression of strong reservations regarding the initial tie result and the criteria applied during the tie-breaking impromptu debate.
Key Concerns Raised
- Questionable Tie Result: LAW LND asserts that the main debate round should not have yielded a tie, given their speakers’ strict adherence to rules, quality of delivery, logical engagement, and effective time management.
- Misalignment in Assessment Criteria: They highlighted major discrepancies during the impromptu segment. While judges announced the tiebreaker as a “one-minute debate,” LAW LND alleges their representative delivered a structured debate, offering arguments, evidence, and direct rebuttals, whereas the opposing speaker gave an oratory-style speech. The society argues this raises serious concerns over whether both participants were judged against uniform criteria. Acknowledging the need for objective assessment, the Faculty of Law Literary and Debating Society has called on the Dean of Student Affairs and the competition organisers to intervene and arrange an independent evaluation of the round.
