Chairman, Kaduna State Peace Commission (KAPECOM), Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon has posited that religious leaders are part of the political problems facing the country.
He also said some of the religious leaders want to be rulers, saying religious leaders should remain as men of God, while those bestowed with running the country should remain so.
Idowu-Fearon who was a former Secretary General of Anglican Consultative Council stressed that religious leaders must see themselves as instruments of unity now and always irrespective of their personal political preferences.
The bishop made his views known while speaking with some journalists at the commission’s office at the weekend in Kaduna.
The former Anglican Bishop of Kaduna diocese lamented that the desire of religious leaders who want to be seen as rulers is not helping the country in its democratic processes.
“Religious leaders are part of the political problems we have in this country. Some of them want to be rulers which is a wrong concept bringing about unnecessary sentiments,” he said.
Archbishop Idowu-Fearon, who expressed fear with the way political activities are going currently with candidates being viewed on regional basis, averred that the elections might be inconclusive in the first ballot.
On the agitation by the South East for the presidency, he said Nigeria is practicing democracy which requires negotiation and not threats of any kind, adding that politics should not be seen as a do-or-die affair.
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“Insecurity and burning down of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in the South East will only end up drawing the region backward politically if not addressed holistically,” he said.
Archbishop Idowu-Fearon also averred that leaders of the region are certainly not doing enough to address the situation, hence it has lasted this long unabated.
“As we approach the elections, the media must be objective. Religious leaders must educate their members to vote based on competence and pray for the candidates because voting is a religious responsibility.
“Party candidates must be honest and should abide by the constitution and their campaigns must be issue-based, devoid of hate speeches and calumny, above all we pray for a violent free conduct of 2023 general elections,” he added.
