Anglican church warns electorate against selling their votes

, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh
Primate Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion

The Diocese of Ekiti West, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has warned electorate against selling their votes to politicians in the 2019 general elections.

It also warned politicians against making unrealistic promises to the electorate which, it said, dampens the interest of Nigerians in the electoral system.

These are some of the resolutions reached at the 1st Session of the 7th Synod which ended on Saturday and presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese, Rt. Rev. Rufus Ajileye Adepoju.

The four-day synod which held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Idagba, Efon Alaaye, had as its theme: “Be Ye Steadfast” taken from 1 Corinthians 15:58.

A communiqué issued on Sunday at the end of the synod, stressed that, “vote buying can end up giving a bad candidate with loads of funds an undeserved edge to the detriment of the people at the long run.”

The synod called on all eligible Nigerians who are of age to ensure that they register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in order to be able to perform their civic responsibility of voting at the national elections to bring credible people into political offices.

It reads: “The Synod admonished some of our politicians who were in the habit of making empty promises to desist from such practices, which only heighten people’s expectations only  to be disappointed at last. This practice contributes to people’s disaffection for people in governance and politics.

“Synod appealed to Government at both States and National level to promptly pay salary and pension arrears to serving workers and pensioners.

“The non-payment of these deserved salaries and pension has brought hardship to families, especially those where the husband and wife are civil servants.

“Synod was deeply concerned with the prevailing scourge of political and religious motivated killings, kidnapping and other anti-social behaviours.

“Synod called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to deploy adequate security resources to tackle these menace and eradicate them from our country.

“Synod appreciated Government’s efforts at waging the war against Boko Haram, but also charged the security forces not to rest on their oars.

“Synod demanded that the issue of herdsmen should receive the same measure of force and seriousness as was applied to other dissident forces that threatened the lives, properties and our national unity.

“Synod charged all Christians to remain unmoved, stable, persistent and resolute in their dependence on God and His Words, which is enough and sufficient for our salvation.

“Synod identified fully with the communiqué issued at Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) 2018, where the need for proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unadulterated was enjoined to be taken more seriously by both the clergy and the laity in the wake of the spate of attack against the sufficiency of Christ sacrifice as being adequate for our salvation.”