Against the backdrop of utterances considered not palatable coming from religious leaders, the chairman Kaduna State Peace Commission (KAPECOM) Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon has charged religious leaders to be instruments of unity despite their personal political preferences.
Bishop Idowu-Fearon who said this while interacting with select journalists at the commission’s office lamented that religious leaders now want to be seen as rulers, a situation he said is not helping the country in its democratic processes.
Ahead of the 2023 general election, Bishop Idowu-Fearon said Nigerians must be allowed to vote their choices regardless of religion and tribe, stressing that, “let candidates’ manifestos and competence speak for them and not their religion or tribe.”
“Religious leaders are part of the political problems we have in this country, some of them want to be rulers which is a wrong concept bringing about unnecessary sentiments,” he said.
Archbishop Idowu-Fearon who expressed fears over the way political activities are going on currently with candidates being viewed on regional basis, averred that the elections might be inconclusive in the first ballot.
On the agitation by the South East for the presidency, he said, Nigeria is practicing democracy which requires negotiation and not threat of any kind, adding that politics should not be seen as a do or die affairs.
“Insecurity and burning down of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in the South East will only end up drawing the region backward politically if not addressed holistically,” he said.
Archbishop Idowu-Fearon also averred that leaders of the region are certainly not doing enough to address the situation, hence it has lasted this long unabated.
“As we approach the elections, the media must be objective, religious leaders must educate their members to vote based on competence and pray for the candidates because voting is a religious responsibility.
“Party candidates must be honest and should abide by the constitution and their campaigns must be issue based devoid of hate speeches and calumny, above all we pray for a violent free conduct of 2023 general elections,” he said.
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