Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has called on church leaders and all Christians in the State to diligently partake in the 2023 general elections.
In an Advisory, supported by its chairman, Bishop (Dr.) Christian Nyong, CAN indicated that the right to freely partake in political and electoral processes is constitutionally guaranteed, and isn’t in any way against the dictates of the Christian faith, and wherefore, called on Church leaders to shoulder voter education for their members.
Howbeit, notwithstanding the call for active participation, CAN said in the advisory that “Church leaders aren’t to shoulder conduct, or partake in exercise that are able of inciting civil restlessness, or causing a breach of public peace, adding that” They must be sensitive to the concentrated wrathfulness that has been activated by the fallout of recent economic policies and fuel insufficiency in our country, which have wished an unaccustomed status of despondency on our land.
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While advising that no protest will be contemplated, the Christian body urged Christian leaders to “ appeal fervently for peace throughout this period and also counsel their members to earnestly seek and pursue peace.
Restating the belief that power belongs to God, CAN advised aspirants “ to be civil and temperate in their utterances during electioneering, ”noting that incendiary or inflammatory utterances by politicians can agitate the democratic process.
In addition, the Christian body advised “Church leaders not to yield to the appeals of desperate politicians who are making labors to penetrate the category of the Church with a view to impacting the church to rally their followers for politically motivated protests and demonstrations.
It, hence, pledged to consort with security agencies to ensure the maintenance of peace, in order to avert “every attempt to use religion and Church as a tool for destruction and insecurity.
