‘Irrespective Of Method, Give Nigerians Credible Elections’, Bishop Kukah Tells INEC

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has called for clean and credible elections in Nigeria, while urging Africa to rise above the scourge of internal wars that continued to hamper the continent’s development.

Kukah made the call in his speech as chairman of the 18th Annual LEADERSHIP Annual Conference and Awards 2025, at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday.

The conference was organised under the theme “Political Stability and Sustainable Development in Africa in an Increasingly Unstable Global System: A Roadmap for Nigeria.”

Bishop Kukah emphasised the urgent need for political stability as a foundation for sustainable development.

He said; “The rest of Africa can no longer wait until Nigeria has surrendered its sovereignty to bandits or drowned in fratricidal blood.

“The rest of Africa will not wait for murderers, whose only roadmap is blood and death. The rest of Africa will not wait for us to decide whether we will transmit, transform, relay, dispatch, disseminate, or transfer the results of our elections by podcast, by telecast, by videocast, or by live stream.

“By God, by whatever means, give us clean and credible elections,” he said.

Bishop Kukah also recalled global debates on democracy, civilisation, and development, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing Africa.

He stated; “While Africa is unraveling, consumed by the return of suicidal internal wars, the world is now defined by those who will fund or become partners in what Trump referred to as the struggle to make America great again. Africa is once again the main menu on the table.”

He also warned that Africa’s future cannot wait for internal disputes or fractured governance.

“The rest of Africa can no longer wait until Nigeria has surrendered its sovereignty to bandits or drowned in fratricidal blood. By God, by whatever means, give us clean and credible elections.”

He further commended the LEADERSHIP Media Group and guests for the honour of chairing the occasion.