Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other Nigerians to actively participate in the 2023 election, stating that the election can make or mar the country.
Newsonline reports that the former president said with the CAN president and the Sultan of Sokoto being on the same page, he was hopeful that politicians would listen, he, however, said if the politicians fail to listen, the citizens should take charge to ensure good electioneering.
Chief Obasanjo stated this on Wednesday, when the new President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh, paid him a courtesy visit at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Penthouse residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
A statement made available to journalists by Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, quoted that the former president called on CAN to stand for truth and justice, stating that politicians will wreck the country if they are not made to be responsible.
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Obasanjo said, “The next election, if we do not watch it, it may make or break Nigeria. I pray that it will make Nigeria.
“For having both the Sultan of Sokoto and the CAN leader already on the same page, maybe our politicians will listen, and if our politicians don’t listen, maybe our people will listen.
“If you stand on the truth, you stand for justice and equity, it is then the politicians will not be able to mess us around and I will say it with all sense of responsibility now if we do not watch it, the politicians will wreck this country and we will all regret it.
“Where can we look for salvation? That is where you, religious leaders, have a significant role to play.
“I think it’s the mistake of the past that we say politics is not for the righteous. Now, if we take the righteous away from politics, and we leave politics to the unrighteous, the unrighteous will smear the righteous with the unrighteousness that they will carry into politics and will have nowhere to go.”
On his part, CAN National President, Okoh, assured the former president that the body of Christians has decided to play an active role in the 2023 election.
Okoh said the time had gone when Christians would leave the political space to the politicians, stating that religious leaders have committed to get involved.
He said, “The council has resolved not to leave the political space to the politicians, that the religious leaders must get involved, not to be partisan, but must give leadership to make sure that the values of our religion are brought to the space to help us to live in peace and work for the unity of the nation, including fighting for justice.”
Recall that CAN condemned the Tinubu and Shettima ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket by the ruling party showed insensitivity to the problems confronting the country.
Though there are about twelve contestants for the position of president of Nigeria in the 2023 election, the candidates of Labour Party, Peter Obi; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu are the major contestants.
