The Nation Newspaper

Tag: polls

  • Oyo SSG, Ige hail polls

    Oyo SSG, Ige hail polls

    The Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG), Mr Ismail Ali, yesterday described the Presidential and National Assembly elections as the best in the history of Nigeria.

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain congratulated the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, for his victory.

    He said the result of the poll, which put Buhari in the lead, was a true reflection of the collective wishes and aspirations of Nigerians and must be respected.

    The son of the late Chief Bola Ige, Muyiwa, has congratulated Nigerians on the victory.

    “This presidential election result is a victory for democracy, good governance and the people. We say goodbye to bad governance, corruption and bloodshed. One must also congratulate Prof. Attahiru Jega for a job well done, it is all about good leadership, which Prof Jega has proved to the world,” he said.

  • Why polls were peaceful

    The General Overseer of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries in Delta State, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin has said last Saturday’s elections were settled in the spirit realm.

    According to him, it took God’s intervention to avert what could have been a bloody election, adding that God listened to the prayer of Nigerians and settled all that could have resulted in bloodshed.

    Prophet Fufeyin also told reporters that God revealed the winner of the presidential contest to him, but he did not reveal it due to security concerns.

    He said God also revealed the winner of the governorship election in the state.

    “This is one of the most peaceful elections in the history of Nigeria. It was peaceful not because of man power, but by the intervention of God.

    “My message to Nigerians is that they should continue to pray so that the election will end peacefully. Nigeria is walking on the path of peace and progress,” Fufeyin said.

     

     

  • Ladoja calls for cancellation of polls

    Ladoja calls for cancellation of polls

    The national leader and governorship candidate of Accord , Sen Rashidi Ladoja has called for the cancellation of Saturday’s presidential and national assembly election in the state on the ground of what he described as ‘electoral irregularities”.

    Ladoja had earlier had a meeting in his Bodija residence, Ibadan with the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide?, the State Governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen Teslim Folarin, his Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Engr Seyi Makinde, deputy governorship candidate of Labour Party, Alh Sarafadeen Alli, former deputy governor of the state, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and Sen Ayo Adeseun.

    The Accord national leader while addressing journalist after their visit, said the Saturday election in Oyo State was the worst conducted in the history of the state, stressing that the party rejects the result and should be cancelled.

    “INEC really messed the polls up, most of the problems came form the Permanent Voters Card that were distributed over the night on Friday. INEC said accreditation will start by 8am but mostof the polling centres got the the voting units lately, some came around 10am, while most of the officials arrived in other places around 1pm.

    “?In some places, election materials got to the voting units lately, while in some places after accreditation ballot papers were not available for voting. For instance in Ido local government, the voting papers got there around 7pm in the night,and the counting was done late into the night and no lightening was provided by INEC. The problem also shifted to the polling units to the collation centres were the results were different from the once announced at the collation centres to the other” Ladoja said

    According to him, there were many discrepancies by the agents of the opposition parties, as the security men on ground were not adequate.

    The Accord leader said the election in the state was either pre-determined to fail or pre-designed to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the state.

    He went further that:” I wonder why INEC didn’t redeploy Amb Rufus Akeju from this state after all the protest and with what he caused in Osun State. He is not capable to conduct credible election”

    Ladoja warned that if all the anomalies pointed out is not addressed before the April 11 polls, the party will resolved to seek self help by protecting their votes with all means possible.

    Commenting on the meetings he earlier had with Akinjide, Folarin, Makinde and others, he said:” They all came to my house to seek my advice on what happened during the Saturday polls. They share similar views with me on it and they also came to the conclusion that the election should ?be cancelled”

    He dispelled the rumour of the possibilities of teeming up with the opposition parties in the state to dislodge APC.

  • On the verge of history

    On the verge of history

    After all said and done, Nigerians went to the polls on March 28, to elect their next President and Commander –In-Chief, as well as members of the National Assembly. And the election went smoothly in most parts of the country save in Rivers State where violence took centre stage.

    Apart from the violence that characterized the exercise in Rivers State, there were doubts as to whether voting actually took place as the two major parties have different positions on the issue. While the ruling party at the centre, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants the world to believe that elections took place in Rivers State on March 28, the All Progressives Congress, the party in power in the state insists that no voting took place.

    The election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has however gone ahead to declare the PDP winner amidst the dispute, suggesting that the body was satisfied that voting actually took place. But time will tell whether this INEC decision will stand. Apart from Rivers State, the election was also disputed in Akwa Ibom State where the APC is also crying foul.

    Not a few Nigerians are worried as to the credibility of the March 28 election considering the calls for cancellation of the exercise in these two states. Rivers and Akwa Ibom states are traditionally the stronghold of the PDP in the south/south region where the party usually gets millions of votes, always large enough to tilt the balance of victory in its favour. But with the caliber of people leading the opposition APC in the two states, the PDP is not expected to have a clean sweep as usual. So, if the PDP is claiming near 99 per cent victory in these two states, then something must be wrong somewhere, especially against the backdrop of the opposition’s insistence that there were massive irregularities in the course of the exercise.

    I don’t intend to dwell much on the Rivers and Akwa Ibom issues for now as I don’t want what happened or did not happen there to remove from the fact that Nigerians last Saturday proved the doubters wrong about our ability to conduct ourselves in an orderly and peaceful manner when it comes to general elections.

    In a replay of what happened across the country during the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Nigerians, last Saturday trooped out in their millions to the various polling units to cast their votes for the candidate of their choice. In most places, there were no police men or any other security personnel around and yet the crowd of electorate comported themselves very well.

    Where I voted, it was a friendly atmosphere throughout as voters supporting different parties/candidates mixed freely and discussed as friends, even sharing drinks while awaiting the exercise to commence.  This was a far cry from what was expected judging by what was in the media and what the politicians were saying during their campaigns in the run up to the elections. The hate campaigns being churned out by politicians before the election were enough to cause concern and fuel the fear of violence on elections day.

    But Nigerians put the politicians to shame by their largely peaceful conduct at the polls and this calls for commendation. By their conduct last Saturday Nigerians have proven to the world, especially our politicians that left alone, we can organize ourselves without their meddlesomeness. I’ve often said it that too much government interference in our lives is the cause of most of the problems plaguing us as a nation. Without government interference or instigation by politicians, Nigerians generally relate well with each other, but when these people come between them and then the issue of ethnicity and religion come to the fore.

    In the run up to these elections, President Goodluck Jonathan will go down on record as one leader who used religion and ethnicity to divide Nigerians just to gain advantage over his opponent. In the South west, especially in Lagos, he used ethnicity to rally the non-indigenes, especially the Igbos to his side. This no doubt has sown mistrust in the minds of the indigenes against the non-indigenes, and the only harvest that could come out of this is further polarization, which will not augur well for peaceful co-existence between these two great ethnic groups.

    During his campaigns, Jonathan presented himself as a candidate of the Christians almost to the total exclusion of the Muslims among his supporters. He also promoted himself as a candidate of the south fighting against the north. These are dangerous paths to tread and I wonder how he intends to rectify the damage his campaigns have caused to our fragile unity if he scales the hurdle and returns as president and commander in chief. Did I hear you say Amen or God forbid?

    If Jonathan returns, it would be a herculean task for him to repair this damage. It would be better for him and the country not to return so that we can start on a very clean slate. The economy is in bad shape; our unity is shaking, and confidence in government badly eroded. We need another leader to restore these things. These are just my thoughts and things could end up that way or the status quo remains and Jonathan returns. This presidential election is so dicey that the result could go either way, but whichever way it goes, kudos must go to the Nigerian electorate who defied all the odds to cast their votes last Saturday. We are gradually coming of age. How great it would be if we can chase a sitting government out of power through our votes; that would be history in this country and a right signal to the rest of Africa that power resides with the people. But will the power that be allow that to happen here? I doubt. But can it be done? Yes.

    Regardless of who comes out top in this presidential contest, the next president of Nigeria come May 29 has his work already cut out. How he goes about it would be a function of his understanding of the situation. If he comes in as an ethnic champion, then we are doomed. What is required of our next president is to think as a Nigeria and do everything in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. And his choice of men and women to join his cabinet will tell us a lot about the direction he intends to take us. The way the Senate handles the screening of his ministerial nominees would also tell us the kind of National Assembly to expect in the next four years, post May 29, 2015.

    However, to set the next administration on a sound footing, INEC must deal with the issues concerning the conduct of the elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States with clear head and in the best interest of our democracy.

  • TMG, NDI advocate Card Reader’s use for other polls

    TWO election observer groups, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), have advocated the use of the Card Reader introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the April 11 elections and subsequent elections.

    The two bodies spoke with reporters yesterday in Abuja on their findings on the presidential and National Assembly elections held at the weekend.

    TMG Chairman Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who urged INEC to improve on its usage in subsequent election, said its introduction was aimed at  enhancing the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring that only eligible voters cast ballots on the election day.

    “The introduction of the card reader was intended to help enhance the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring only eligible voters could cast ballots on Election Day.

    “However, in practice on the election day, the Card Readers slowed the process. This does not mean that INEC should abandon the use of the technology to enhance elections. But more effort is needed to develop appropriate and dependable solutions,” he said.

    He added that logistical issues also delayed the opening of polling units, making the processes of accreditation, voting and counting more challenging for polls’ officials and voters.

    Praising  INEC so far for its steadfastness during the elections and its continuing efforts to ensure integrity of the process, he urged the election body to be transparent and timely in the collation process.

    He added: “TMG commends the security agents for the largely professional conduct they exhibited throughout the polling days.

    “TMG also recognises the dedication of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, who served and continue to serve as polling officials despite the many challenges.

    “We commiserate with the families of the s officials killed by Boko Haram in Dukku LGA in Gombe. Above all, TMG commends Nigerians for their determination to exercise their right to vote and generally participating peacefully in the polling process.”

    The NDI, led by Ambassador Jonnie Carson, who also hailed the use of the card reader, however, wanted all the challenges it encountered to be tackled before the April 11.

    This, he said, would enhance citizens’ confidence and participation to mitigate violence during and after the next polls.

    Carson suggested that the high level of heightened security deployed during the polls be sustained so that the current electoral cycle can be sustained.

  • Praises, knocks for INEC over polls

    Praises, knocks for INEC over polls

    There are some mistakes the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made at the presidential and National Assembly elections, which must not be repeated at the governorship and House of Assembly polls on April 11. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the pitfalls and implications for the electoral process.

    Mixed feelings have continued to trail the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections. There was a huge turnout across the six geo-political zones. In Lagos, many prospective voters defiled the heavy downpour to perform their civic responsibility. There was no violence in almost all the 36 states. But, many Nigerians have blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of foresight.

    The elections were inconclusive in many states. In Lagos State, elections could not be concluded in 90 polling units. The affected areas were Etiosa, Kosofe and Alimoso. Yesterday people were still voting in 37 units in Yobe, eight in Borno, 37 in Jigawa, 13 in Kano and 116 in Taraba.

    In many polling booths, card readers, which were introduced for the first time, failed. Even, President Goodluck Jonathan had to wait for some time before his Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) could be authenticated. After casting his vote in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, the President, who was seeking re-election in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), advised voters to exercise patience, saying that the use of card readers is a novelty. In Daura, the All Progressives Congress (APC) standard bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, applauded the electoral agency in Katsina State. He said: “I like the integrity of the system. If people are allowed to vote, there will be no rigging.”

    Many voters had to wash their times many times before the card reader could ascertain their eligibility. In many polling units, the process could not kick off on time. Polling officials were late. In some, they did not turn up at all. In Rivers State, there was confusion. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters said that they were ready to vote. But, All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters objected to the process. The governor, Rotimi Amaechi, protested the lack of result sheets. Despite this anomaly, the exercise went on till midnight.

    In Lagos, the turnout was impressive. But,  voting was extended till yesterday. There was a floodgate of complaints about the conduct of the election. Many Lagosians berated the commission for laxity, adding that the mistakes of the past were repeated. “The process was messed up here. INEC failed,” said a voter in Apapa/Iganmu area of Lagos, who added: “We have been here, but the process started late.” Another voter said:”All efforts to ensure the success of the process were resisted by the coordinator called Alhaja. It is surprising.”

    In Isheri/Omole/Magodo area, accreditation was still on at 7.30 pm. At Ikotun, Lagos West, a voter criticised INEC for recruiting officials who have given them a bad name. “So far, so good, the only thing s that INEC officials came late,” said a voter.  Irked by the shoddy preparation, a voter at Omole Estate, Phase 11, Ojodu, Dr Jide Oluwajuyitan, said that the commission has failed the test of integrity. Around 5.30 pm, he complained that voting was yet to commence in the area. He also complained that car readers failed. But, after the manual accreditation, the polling officials disappeared. For hours, the officials, led by a lady, refused to show up with ballot papers and other materials.  However, voters did not return home.

    At Ijora-Oloye, also in Apapa/Iganmu Council, voters complained about the late resumption of officials for duty. Accreditation had not started around 11 am. Bayo Adesanya, a former Supervisory Councillor, said: “INEC officials came late. Instead of resuming by 8.am, they came around 9.30 am. House of Assembly member, Ladi Balogun, said the situation was not critical, adding that, despite the hiccups, the process can still be salvaged. On Lagos Island, another lawmaker, Gbolahan Yishawu, appealed to the people to bear with the commission and come out for the election, which could not be concluded on Saturday.

    Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje, who voted at Apapa, said there was room for improvement. “My polling booth has been good. The election has been peaceful. The card reader is working well. But, this is not the kind of report we are getting from other places,” he said.

    But, on the eve of the poll, there were isolated cases of violence perpetrated by suspected PDP thugs. Transport Commissioner Comrade Kayode Opeifa alleged that his residence was attacked by thugs who also attacked the local government secretariat. “It was like a Boko Haram attack. It was very heavy. My house was attacked by PDP sponsored assailants with guns and machetes. The thugs were about 12. Several gun shots were fired for about 10 minutes. Later, they attacked the Agege Local Government Secretariat. One person lost his life,” he said.

    In Ekiti, voters were orderly in many local governments. But, Ikere, the home town of the deputy governor, Dr. Olusola Eleka,  was an exception. A person was shot by the police. Senator Tony Adeniyi, who was seeking re-election, blamed the deputy governor, who he accused of roving round the town, contrary to electoral rules. “The deputy governor decided on his own to be moving round, despite the ban on movement, with military men, authentic and fake. They impeded him and asked him to turn back to his polling unit at Iro. One of my boys, Jide, was shot,” said Adeniyi, a lawyer.

    In Imo State, voting was also inconclusive, although results were also being collated in may collation centres. The exercise was generally peaceful. But, Governor Rochas Okorocha, complained about the indiscriminate arrest of prospective voters by the police. He said the arrest of many students who travelled from home to vote where they had registered was in bad faith.  He said the students were APC supporters. “I don’t know the kind of system we are operating”, he fumed.

    But, the greatest hiccups occurred in Rivers. People stormed the INEC office to protest what they described as injustice. Many people have boycotted the exercise, saying that polling officers could not produce result sheets. “If we can’t see the result sheets and we vote, they will not record the actual figures,” said a protester. “There is a grand plan to rig the election in Rivers’, he added.

    Reviewing the exercise in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega expressed satisfaction with the polls. He said they were peaceful, transparent and credible. He acknowledged the complaints against the failure of card readers in many units. But, he clarified that the card readers were also effective in many units.

    The INEC boss also said that late arrival of officials and materials could be due to some factors beyond the agency’s control . “Many people who have been trained may not turn up for duty, either due to illness, new engagements or fear,” he added.

    Jega urged Nigerians to be weary of the announcement of unauthenticated results, saying that it could be misleading and confusing. “I advise that we should wait for the announcement of results by the INEC’s Returning officers”, he said.

  • Problem beyond the polls

    Two days after the country’s presidential poll, the  immortal lines from Shakespeare’s Macbeth are relevant : “When the hurlyburly’s done – When the battle’s lost and won.”  Against the background of the continuing anti-terror battle, the hurly-burly is certainly not done.

    News of the latest garland for Boko Haram, the Islamist guerilla force that has terrorised the country since 2009, deserves attention.  The group’s insurgency was the fourth deadliest conflict in the world in 2014 and was responsible for 11, 529 deaths, according to a release by an international think tank, the Project for the Study of the 21st Century. It is noteworthy that the think tank said the figure of fatalities could be underestimated.

    However, the estimation of the human suffering resulting from the destructive imagination and vision of the insurgents is more accurate. “We are seeing tremendous suffering,” UN Assistant Secretary General Robert Piper was quoted as saying. He continued: “We estimate that only about 20 percent of agricultural land in Borno State (the hardest-hit area) was harvested last season.” Piper, the coordinator of the UN’s humanitarian work in Africa’s Sahel region, pointed out that the situation “leaves a massive deficit.”

    Also, Piper noted that there were “dramatic rates of acute malnutrition” among the displaced children in Nigeria. In statistical terms, he highlighted a recent survey of displaced children around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, which showed that over 35 percent of them were malnourished. “That is very, very high,” he was quoted as saying.

    This picture of disturbing death and dying demonstrates that the hurly-burly is not done and the battle has not been lost and won.  Shockingly, what many internally displaced persons have gone through, especially those uprooted by Boko Haram, came to light via a statement by the Director of Information, The Catholic Church Diocese of Maiduguri, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie. He said: “A good number of those trapped around the Cameroonian borders are gradually finding their way into Maiduguri. Counting their ordeals, some will tell you how they fed on grass and insects. A group from Pulka community alone buried over 80 children, who took ill in the bush and died.”  Over 90, 000 Catholics have been uprooted by the developing tragedy, Obasogie noted, adding that the church has spent over N3 million on internal refugees at different locations in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    Relevant to this appalling picture is the information by the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Sani Sidi, at last year’s opening of its annual consultative meeting with the heads of States Emergency Management Agencies. Sidi said about 734,062 persons were internally displaced by conflicts and disasters in various parts of the country; 676, 975 of them were displaced by conflicts and 66,087 by natural disasters. It is significant that he pointed out: “Disaster occurrences and the number of affected people have risen significantly in recent years.”

    It is not clear how NEMA arrived at these figures, and it is worth mentioning that they are a far cry from the statistics publicised by the 2014 Report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norwegian Refugee Council, which indicate that out of 33 million internal refugees across the world, about 3.3 million Nigerians are internally displaced because of the Boko Haram insurgency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.  The yawning gap between the positions of the two bodies concerning the number of dislodged victims of the six-year-old violent campaign by Islamist terrorists in the affected areas is a cause for concern because it suggests that the scale of the problem may not have been captured and is likely to be beyond the range of the available figures.

    How devastating and disruptive Boko Haram has become is clear from its influence on the controversial rescheduling of the general elections.  To properly grasp the group’s role, it is useful to quote the February 7 statement by the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, on why the elections were postponed a week to the first vote. According to Jega, “Last Wednesday, which was a day before the Council of State meeting, the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) wrote a letter to the Commission, drawing attention to recent developments in four Northeast states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe currently experiencing the challenge of insurgency. The letter stated that security could not be guaranteed during the proposed period in February for the general elections.”

    Jega continued: “This advisory was reinforced at the Council of State meeting on Thursday where the NSA and all the Armed Services and Intelligence Chiefs unanimously reiterated that the safety and security of our operations cannot be guaranteed, and that the Security Services needed at least six weeks within which to conclude a major military operation against the insurgency in the Northeast; and that during this operation, the military will be concentrating its attention in the theatre of operations such that they may not be able to provide the traditional support they render to the Police and other agencies during elections.”

    It is not surprising that the magical and illogical six-week time frame set for the conquest of insurgents who have carried out terroristic activities since 2009 has passed with Boko Haram still threatening and frightening. Optimism won’t win the terror war, no matter how well-dressed.  The naked pessimism of the people is unmistakable.

    The reports of recaptured territories by the country’s troops in a regional collaboration with four neighbouring nations, Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, have been captivating largely because the people never knew exactly what had been captured. Reports said the contributions to the multi-national force total 8, 700 individuals and its objective is to “foster a safe and secure environment in the impacted regions.”

    With the eventual adoption of a frontal attack, it is comical that National Security Adviser Col Sambo Dasuki (retd) last year introduced a simplistic angle to the anti-terror campaign.  Dasuki’s amazing “Roll out of Nigeria’s Soft Approach to Counter Terrorism”, whatever its theoretical merits, represented an ill-defined all-inclusive method. According to him, “The soft approach provides us with a frame-work that identifies the roles and responsibilities of every segment of our society: the governors, local council chairmen, national and state assembly members, political parties, trade unions, the private sector, traditional institutions, ministers and other government officials, academics, in fact, a ‘whole-of-society’ approach that involves everyone vertically and horizontally to confront violent extremism.”  It was a mystifying approach and an exaggerated perspective that glossed over the fundamental point, which is, confronting and crushing terrorism with the logic of superior sovereignty.

  • Boko Haram kills lawmaker, policeman, 10 others in polls attacks

    Boko Haram kills lawmaker, policeman, 10 others in polls attacks

    Suspected members of Boko Haram sect yesterday launched separate attacks on voters in Gombe and Yobe states, killing 10 people including an All Progressives Congress (APC) member seeking re-election into the Gombe State House of Assembly, and a policeman.

    Alhaji Umar Aminu  and five voters  were  shot dead in his Dukku South constituency by the terrorists who were quoted by eye witnesses as saying : ‘Didn’t we warn you about staying away from (the) election?” as they pulled the triggers.

    Three people including the policeman were killed in Birin Bolawa and Birin Fulani villages in Nafada Local government area of the state.

    The insurgents had apparently crossed into the state from Yobe after a similar attack in Ngalda where the state police commissioner Danladi Marcus said one person was killed.

    There was confusion in the areas as some voters left the polling units but others later returned to be accredited, sources said.

    Eye witnesses said the insurgents left on the Dukku-Darazo road after the attack.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in Gombe State, Fwaje Atajiri, confirmed the report, adding that details of the incident would be given after investigations were completed.

    “There was an attack on the outskirts of Nafada in attempt to disrupt the elections,” Mr. Atajiri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said. “A joint team of military and police officer promptly moved to Dukku and pushed the insurgents to the bush.”

    Mr. Atajiri said elections were going on in the area and other areas of the state as the Special Forces were in control of the situation.

    Reacting to the death of his colleague, member representing Akko North Constituency at the State House of Assembly, Gidado Lawanti, described his death as unfortunate.

     

  • Polls: Division among Christians worries publishers

    The Christian Press Association of Nigeria (CPAN), an umbrella body of publishers of Christian news, has lamented the widening division among Christians over political differences.

    The development, it said, has set the church back in its evangelical mission and portrayed it in a negative light before the public.

    This was the major resolution after a stakeholders meeting by the organisation last week in Lagos.

    While admitting that Christians have shown an incredibly great interest in politics, the body said there were indices that the engagement has not been well-managed.

    In a nine-point communiqués signed by its coordinator, Gracious Akintayo and secretary, Jackson Ekwugum, CPAN lamented:  “Many Christians have been divided along party lines especially along the line of the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party and the main opposition party, All Peoples Congress.”

    It added:  “Pastors who are supposed to give direction to church people and counsel them on staying on the will of God and protecting the cause of the kingdom of God have themselves been entrenched in partisan politics.’’

    It observed the development had degenerated to the point that “some church leaders have thrown caution to the wind by engaging themselves in verbal wars and in some instances fisticuffs over who to support and who not to support.”

    CPAN said the “integrity of the church is being compromised while church leaders are being dragged in the mud as a result of fathom allegations which have not been substantiated with facts and figures.

    “There is an atmosphere of bewitchment of the church. There seems to be too much emotion in party support than reason. People are holding to their allegiance to parties as if there salvation lies in those parties.

    “The cause of the kingdom has suffered considerably owing to blind party followership and lack of recourse to the will and purpose of God for the nation.”

    It called on Christians to exercise restrain over political involvement and continue to uphold the nation in prayers.

    “God will only act in response to the prayers of the saints. We must pray and bring all matters concerning the elections and who becomes our next president into the hands of God.

    “We must realize that the purpose and plan of God cannot be thwarted by any human force.

    “We believe that if we pray, God will act. We believe that Nigeria is strategic in the plan of God for the end time.

    “We believe that we cannot afford to fritter away the opportunity before us to enthrone righteousness, justice and peace in the land,” the Christian publishers stressed.

  • Polls will be peaceful, says PFN’s chair

    The chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Ikorodu Province Lagos, Rev. Fola Olusanya, has assured that the general elections will be violence-free.

    He urged Nigerians to seek the face of God instead of expressing unfounded fears over possible outbreak of violence before, during and after the polls.

    He spoke at a prayer conference in Ikorodu with the theme “When the righteous pray”.

    According to him: “Even when every other thing seems to have failed, God can still change things.

    “And If God cannot help us, then who will? And as such, we have come together to seek the face of God.”

    He urged Nigerians to remain positive and commit their fears over the polls to the hands of God.

    One of the organisers, Evangelist Segun Ehinmisan said prayers can change things in a nation how matter bad.

    He said: “I want Nigerians to know that the country will not disintegrate. Everything will work out fine and there will be peace because God’s eyes are on us and we should continue to pray for the progress of the country, especially Christians.”