2023: Anglican mothers seek election of credible candidates

The Anglican Mothers’ Union Executive in a communiqué released after its 2022 September meeting held at the Church National Secretariat, St. Mathias House Gudu District, Abuja, has enjoined eligible Nigerians to get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and vote for any credible candidate of their choice.

Signed by its President, Mrs Angela Eberechukwu Ndukuba, wife of the Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the communiqué noted that voter’s apathy, none collection of voter’s card, inadequate mass mobilisation and voter’s education, religious fanaticism, underfunding of the umpire, judiciary lapses among others ruin credible elections and called on the Federal Government to check these lapses to allow for free and fair elections in 2023.

Commending the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) effort for advancing the nation’s electoral process electronically for credible 2023 elections, the union frowned at the nation’s debt profile rising to N41.6 trillion as at September 1, 2022, saying this has a negative impact on the investment and quality of life.

According to the Anglican mothers diversifying the economy and government desisting from frivolous expending will help boost nation’s reserve and improve standard of living in the country.

Decrying the nation’s inflation rate moving from 15.63 per cent in December 2021 to 18.6 per cent in June 2022 and later to 20.52 per cent in August 2022, the union noted that the situation is causing untold hardship in the country and making the nation’s professionals, especially medical practitioners to relocate abroad for greener pastures. It called on government to promote the creativity industry, agriculture and technology to create employment, especially for the youths.

The mother’s union also kicked against the wanton killings in the country, abduction, insurgency, terrorism, among others, saying government should urgently find a solution to these ills to avert the impending doom that could erase the country’s name in history.

Calling for the establishment of state police, the union noted that doing so will help check crime at the grassroots and the various states, and called on the lawmakers both at the Federal and state levels to resist the passing into law of the national grazing bill by the National Assembly, saying the bill has been midwifed to favour the Fulani tribe at the detriment of other groups in the country.

• Phillips is the Diocesan Communicator, Abuja Diocese (Anglican Communion)