Daniel Okoh, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has advised Nigerians not to use force against one another as election campaigns get underway on Wednesday.
At the 62nd Independence Day anniversary service yesterday in Abuja, Okoh urged that voters should be wise enough to use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to choose the proper leaders and avoid shedding innocent blood.
In particular, he cautioned the youth against acting as “body shields” for politicians who are unconcerned with their future.
Okoh stated that he thinks many electorates must have discovered a few things from politicians who enticed them during election days just to vanish after winning.
In order to use them to express their rage against dishonest politicians, he also urged the electorate to safeguard their PVCs.
His words: “Brethren, the year 2023 is the year of our test as a nation. Rather than take up arms to kill each other and terrify innocent Nigerians, adults in this nation should take up our voter cards and go to the polls.
“Those who already have their valid voter cards should ensure that they don’t misplace them or expose them to where they could be stolen or destroyed.
“Those who have registered and have not received their PVCs should endeavour to get and keep them. If you have registered but found it difficult to get your PVC, report to your church leaders or better still to the office of CAN nearest to you in your state.
“Let me counsel that we must resist any threat (strong or subtle) in whichever form to stop us from going out to vote on the days of elections.
“We should have learnt our lessons to know that politicians who presented some inducement to voters, especially on the polling day were not really interested in the welfare of the people because they disappeared and made themselves unreachable and unavailable to those who elected them after they had been elected.
“We should look out for politicians who are genuine and who are sincere to provide the basics that will be the catalyst for economic growth and development.
“I do not believe that all Nigerian politicians are the same – there are still those that God had prepared for this time. Open your eyes and listen, you will find them.
“Our hardworking Nigerian youth should not reduce themselves to body shields to those politicians that have no interest in their future neither should they allow themselves to be used as pawns on the chessboard of the reckless political game.
“Let the youth realise that their life is too precious to be wasted or sacrificed for any individual or group. The youth should not allow certain unscrupulous persons to use them to destroy their own future. “
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