By-Collins Nnabuife, Abuja
Ahead of this year’s general election, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on citizens to resist any attempt to cause disharmony and disaffection.
CAN said elections must be seen as a time of peaceful transition of leadership and not war. It, therefore, harped on the need for all Nigerians to put away religious and ethnic bigotry and allow the will of God to prevail.
This is contained in a statement signed by the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh and made available to journalists.
CAN also charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that this election is seamless, credible, and violence-free.
The Christian apex body said the INEC has no excuse to fail, stressing that four years is enough time to perfect the process and eliminate the glitches featured in past polls.
“CAN calls on the authorities to beef up security, especially in communities vulnerable to attacks and ensure that no citizen is disenfranchised owing to the precarious security situation in parts of the country.
“We charge the security agencies to be unbiased and remain neutral while discharging their duties, especially during the forthcoming general elections.
“CAN urge all the political parties and candidates seeking elective positions during the forthcoming general elections to accept the results of the polls in good faith in the interest of Nigerians and the unity of the country.
“We note the current sufferings of the people, which is gradually becoming unbearable due to the gross shortage of Naira notes in the system and plead with President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify efforts to mitigate the hardship.
“The national leadership of CAN urges all the faithful in the country not to relent in praying for our dear country Nigeria because prayer is the most potent instrument of warfare at our disposal.
“Let us remind ourselves that the country’s economic, political and security situations do not give joy to anyone, but keep our hopes alive at this time, ” the statement added.
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