Leadership of TEKAN also known as Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria has thrown its weight behind the clergymen who take action against their members without the permanent voters’ card (PVC).
They also called on Christians in Nigeria to reject any political party that is calling for Muslim-Muslim or Christian – Christian ticket.
TEKAN is a conglomeration of 15 churches in Nigeria that include COCIN, LCCN, ERCC, NKST, RCCN, EYN and UMCA among others.
The president of TEKAN, Rev Caleb Ahima and the general secretary Rev Moses Ebuga, in a press statement signed and issued yesterday in Jos said the church stands and condemned the call for Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket ahead of the 2023 general election.
“The Fellowship wishes to add her voice on the agitation going on for Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket in the country, as a fellowship, we stand to condemn such calls and stress that the diversity of our country and the religious sensitivity at this material time cannot allow for such proposal, hence the need to consider both religion in our choice-making for the leadership of our country.
“We decry the high level of financial inducement during the processes, we call on the INEC, the electoral empire to do the needful, not to peg our democracy for the highest bidder. We also appeal to the EFCC to intervene and arrest all those involved in inducement of delegates, we must stand for the credible candidates irrespective of their financial status,” it said.
The TEKAN leadership also called on eligible Nigerians, especially Christians, to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to participate in the 2023 general election, if they truly want to effect positive change.
The statement while reacting to the incessant security challenges in the country, said the killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Benue, Taraba and other states in Nigeria is unacceptable.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari and the security chiefs to act swiftly to prevent the Nigerian state from derailing into a state of anarchy. The recent killing of Christian worshippers in a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State is worrisome and unacceptable,” it said.
TEKAN also condemned the recent kidnapping of a Catholic priest in Jos East local government area of Plateau State Rev Fr James Kantoma and called on security agencies to curtail the kidnapping of Christian clerics across the country.
