Officials of the 19 Northern States Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have admonished Nigerians, especially Christians, to vote in a credible leadership in 2023 and stop bad politicians from coming to power.

The Chairman of Northern CAN, Reverend Yakubu Pam, led a Prayer Summit in Kaduna yesterday with the theme, ‘Managing Diversity in an Electioneering Process: The Role of Religious Leaders’, where he stated that the time when Christians show apathy to political issues was over.

He enjoined Christians to come out en masse and be part of the electioneering process, saying that was the only way to produce good leaders at various levels of governance.

He said: “I am convinced that you will agree with me that this Prayer Summit is timely and auspicious as it is taking place barely few months before the 2023 general election.

“Christians should come out as never before to vote and be voted for in the forthcoming general election in February 2023. It is expected that every eligible Christian should take it upon himself or herself to register with INEC and should not stop there, but ensure that he or she gets the PVC to participate in the voting process.”

Pam urged the government at the federal or state levels to be proactive in addressing challenges and conflicts that might arise before, during and after the elections.

He added: “The government has a role to play in ensuring smooth electioneering campaign and smooth transition without bloodbath. It is equally the responsibility of the government to ensure a level playing field for all the candidates of all the political parties and voters so that at the end of the day we can have a credible election that could be accepted by Nigerians and the international community.”

“Aside from the government, all the major stakeholders who have stake in the election should work in synergy and handle issues promptly without delay. The government cannot do it alone, even the citizenry have their role to play by making sure that the election is not marred with violence. They should shun all forms of criminality, violence and disturbances during the election.”

“To all intents and purposes, it is therefore pertinent at this juncture to affirm that the interest of the Northern Christians as far as the 2023 general election is concerned is nothing but to promote the unity of the North in particular and by implication Nigeria as a whole. The unity which guarantees inter faith harmony and peaceful co-existence should be our pride, regardless of our political leanings and affiliations. Importantly, the Northern Christians are also interested more in good governance, equity, justice and fair play for the citizenry.”