Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Ahead of the 2023 general election, Anglican Bishop on the Niger, Rt. Rev. Dr. Owen Nwokolo, has pleaded with the political class in Nigeria against plunging the country into another season of civil unrest with utterances.
Bishop Nwokolo begged them against not only making inflammatory utterances, but also for them to refrain from of political mischievousness and endorsing decisions capable of scuttling the 2023 general election.
The Bishop gave the advice in the Presidential Address he delivered at the 1st Session of the 32nd Synod of the diocese held at the All Saints Cathedral Onitsha, recently.
Being particular about the 2023 elections, the bishop said the Anglican Church was in good support of the exercise and had been praying for its success, but appealed to politicians to reciprocate by being shrewd enough to play the game according to its standard rules.
The bishop had in a religious fatherly tone advised the politicians to consciously abstain from acts, utterances and insinuations capable of heating up the national polity, entreating them to be careful not to throw the country into a state of anarchy.
Bishop Nwokolo however challenged politicians and political parties contending elective positions in the up-coming elections in the country to diligently articulate quality and feasible manifestos as the philosophical bedrock of their parties.
He remarked, “We have observed of late that inadequate or lack of intelligible and distinct manifestos by political parties in the country has been the major cause of the prevailing carpet crossings characteristic of the present crop of Nigerian politicians.”
According to him, “It is unfortunate and worrisome that instead of politicians to allow themselves to be guided by sound nation-building manifestos, they rather descend very low and cling to self-serving interests, religion or ethnicity-driven politics,” he said.
