One man running to be the next mayor of Birmingham has called for debates — and drug tests — for everyone seeking to lead the city.

“We’ve got to have a sober mayor,” said Kamau Afrika, a longtime activist and mayoral candidate.

Afrika is one of five announced candidates seeking to unseat incumbent Mayor Randall Woodfin in August.

Afrika in an interview with AL.com said the drug tests should be voluntary, but that he prefers a hair follicle test that could show any drug use for the past 10 years.

Afrika said his challenge is not a personal attack on anyone. But he said current conditions require clear-headed leaders.

“I want to make sure we have sobriety that’s running the city because some of the decisions may be made from him on a leisurely period,” Afrika said. “I just want to show the public what they’re getting. With the condition of Birmingham, we can’t afford any mistakes.”

Afrika, who is 68, said he has not used any illegal substances in decades.

“They can go almost 38 years on me,” he said. “I’ll admit that I smoked a lot of weed. I kept a level head.”

As more people enter the mayoral race, Afrika is also challenging the candidates to a series of debates across the city.

“I want this debate, really, really bad,” Afrika said.

Not so fast, said state Rep. Juandalynn Givan, who is also a candidate for mayor, noted that she made a debate challenge on social media before Afrika’s statement.

“I stand ready to debate anyone, anytime on the issues,” reads her campaign graphic poster April 11.

Givan restated her position to AL.com.

“I’ve been ready,” she said. “I stand ready to stand on business to debate anyone on the issues and to debate them with facts, period.”

Regarding Afrika’s call for drug tests, Givan said the challenger should set an example.

“He probably needs to put his drug test on the table first and foremost and maybe all of us will then follow suit,” Givan said.

Nevertheless, Givan said residents are most interested in a litany of problems facing the city including neighborhood blight, substandard streets, overgrown lots, high crime and high housing costs.

“I will not run a race in which it becomes a circus and a dog- and-pony-show when we have so much going on in the city of Birmingham right now,” she said.

Woodfin initially said he would debate any candidate who lived in the city of Birmingham. He made the comment as a swipe against Givan, who lived in Forestdale and has since leased an apartment in Birmingham in advance of the election.

Woodfin’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment regarding Afrika’s challenges.

During the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, then-candidate Donald Trump demanded Joe Biden should be drug tested.

Woodfin has a strong financial lead heading into August. His total for cash raised in 2025 is about $350,000, according to filings.

Jerimy Littlepage, who is making his entry into politics, said he was ready for a debate.

“I not only accept but I am open to any debate from any of the candidates,” Littlepage told AL.com.

However, he dismissed the long-term drug test, calling it irrelevant to the issues of a mayoral campaign.

Also, a fifth candidate has made it official that he’s running for mayor.

After weeks of hinting at his intentions, Frank Woodson, a Birmingham pastor and nonprofit executive, said he is officially a candidate in the Aug. 26 election.

“I’ve had a considerable amount of experience working in the political realm, but I have always considered it to be community service as opposed to politics,” Woodson said in a statement announcing his run. “There is no greater honor than to serve this city that I call home and the great state of Alabama that I love.”

Woodson had previously announced an exploratory committee to evaluate a possible run. But with a website showcasing a platform, a slogan and media appearances, Woodson was already acting like a candidate.

“I’m willing to take time out. I’m willing to invest resources to help right the ship with the city,” he told AL.com in March. “I know that I have solutions. We’re going to do those solutions whether I run or not.”

Woodson did not respond to AL.com questions regarding Afrika’s challenge. Instead, he sent an “LOL” text.

Woodson previously ran for the Alabama House District 52 seat formerly held by longtime Rep. John Rogers who was convicted of federal corruption charges. Woodson lost in a runoff to Kelvin Datcher in July 2024.

Afrika said he is ready for the candidates to meet and present their platforms directly to the people.

“If we have a debate, I clearly know who’s going to stand out,” Afrika said. “I’ve got a 40-year service record and I’m probably the oldest one in the race. I feel I’ve got the wisdom to smoke anyone who has the courage to come up there for a debate.”