Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese and a member of the National Peace Committee, Mathew Kukah, has charged politicians to desist from the habit of running to pastors and imams in order to seek for their endorsements ahead of an election, noting that in the stead, the people should be approached for engagement.
This was stated by him on Tuesday in a Channels TV Interview, Sunrise Daily.
When reacting to the low voters turn out in recent times in Edo elections, he noted that, “Rather than politicians running around Pastors and Imams seeking endorsements, they should be out there engaging the people and encouraging people to go out and vote.
“I think that the churches and civil societies have also done very well in terms of mobilising people but this is something that must continue as a process of engagement, not something that happens in the month of election because people need to be sufficiently convinced about the power of their votes and how significant and how important it is.
“Part of the problems is that the ordinary people go out to vote, the politicians give appointments to their friends, who they import, either from other states or from abroad, I am not saying people who are in the diaspora cannot govern but there is almost something dysfunctional about political rewards after elections.”
Similarly, he noted that the foreign countries we allegedly imitate, it is difficult to find a politician approaching religious institutions for purposes of political endorsements.
“When last did you see a politician across Europe which we are trying to imitate go and bow to the queen or king or seek blessings from a bishop. We have too many intervening variables that are confusing the narrative.
“We are really not practicing the principles of democracy and it lies in the fact that only those who have money can hope to be voted into power.
“If you feel you need to be anointed to ascend to power then we are running a theocracy.” He said.
In another development, he applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and civil societies for their roles in the peaceful Edo State gubernatorial poll.
Also, he charged the people of Ondo State to copy from the peaceful process witnessed in Edo, saying they should do better.
“Our commendation also goes to the people of Edo State. I have received quite a lot of messages from old friends that I haven’t spoken to in a long time, commending the work of the National Peace Committee but really this is not an honour that one individual should take.
“It is the people of Edo State, the way they conducted themselves and I think in every sense of the word, they left us a legacy of efficiency.
“It is incumbent on the people of Ondo to now ask themselves, why can we not do better than the people in Edo State.”
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