Speakers sensitise Christians on politics, voting during elections

The church has continued to enlighten its members on the need to preserve their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and to vote in the 2023 general elections.

The Christian Men’s Fellowship (CMF) of the Saint James Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja, last week, organised a Voter Education/Enlightenment breakfast seminar tagged, “Let’s Talk Politics 2.0” to highlight the importance of the PVC and why eligible Nigerians should vote during elections.

With the theme: “2023 And Beyond: Leadership, Politics And Citizenship Engagement,” speakers were drawn from academia, public service, the political class and the church.

The lead paper titled: “Why The Righteous Must Be In Political Authority” disclosed that political authority comes from God.

According to the keynote speaker, Dr. Sam Amadi, Christians should participate in politics because God wants justice and righteousness installed in the society and this, He hopes to achieve through some Christians He has given the delegated authority to do so.

The General Secretary, of the Church of Nigeria, Venerable Paul Dajur, explained that participating in politics is not negotiable for the church and also called on all eligible Christians to vote, saying it helps to install credible government because the government regulates influences, and controls or facilitates almost every part of human life.

Dr. Godknows Igali, a former Ambassador to the Scandinavian countries — Sweden, Denmark and Norway — described the pattern of politics in the country as troubling because it is a situation where older people play major roles, adding that in many countries across the globe, young aspirants dominate the political space.

He also called on the electorate to vote for candidates that have the ideas to lead and positive track records in the 2023 elections.

Igali who is also Pro-chancellor and Chairman of, Governing Board of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, further called on the church and other religious organisations to partner with INEC to enlighten Nigerians on the dangers of vote-buying and also to ensure that votes count in the next elections.

Prof. Mahmood through his representative said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has tamed election rigging in the country through the Electoral Act 2022 just signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He noted that with the Electoral Act, the use of Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) and other strict measures launched by INEC, no Nigerian will be able to vote twice in the 2023 general elections, stressing that the Commission is optimistic that the 2023 general elections will be free, fair and credible.

Participants included: Amb. (Dr.) Godknows Igali, who was chairman of the occasion; the keynote speaker and public affairs analyst, Dr. Sam Amadi; Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood represented by INEC Deputy Director, Voters Education, Election Monitoring/Observation, Chukwuemeka Ugbuaja; Inspector General of Police represented by DCP, Bode Ojajumi; and General Secretary, Church of Nigeria, Ven. (Dr.) Paul Dajur.

Others were: a former presidential aspirant under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mrs. Dorothy Nuhu-Aken’Ova; a political scientist, Prof. Jideofor Adibe; and Dr. Sam Eziokwu.

CMF members led by its President, Sir (Dr.) Emma Ohakim, representatives of the women’s groups of the church, youth fellowships, the public and the press.

• Bar. Chibuike Ezeokwuora is the Secretary, of Christian Men’s Fellowship, Saint James Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja