Concerns that the elections in 2023 would break the nation was on Tuesday has been watered down by the Nigeria Interreligious Council (NIREC)
Under the joint direction of the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, NIREC expressed optimism that a national rebirth for Nigeria could occur after the election with the help of collective action of important stakeholders and the people.
The NIREC co-chairmen allayed the concerns in Abuja during its fourth quarterly meeting with the theme “Peaceful and credible elections for national rejuvenation.”
Instead, under the joint direction of Alhaji Abubakar III, and Archbishop Okoh, NIREC expressed optimism that a national rebirth for Nigeria could occur after the election with the help of collective action of important stakeholders and the people.
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Sultan Abubakar said, “A lot of people made comments about the 2023 elections as a make-or-break election for Nigeria and I don’t believe in that. I refuse to believe that. The forthcoming polls are just an election in which people will go out, cast their votes in peace and then whoever emerges as the winner as the Almighty Allah decided, will be the leader of this country and the states where we all come from. I don’t believe it’s a make-or-break election.
“We should not and must not play to the hands of those enemies of Nigeria who keep on parading or bringing up such issues.”
The CAN President, in his speech, asserted that if all crucial stakeholders decide to reverse the trend through strategic dialogue that appeals to the political class’s conscience, the ugly history of pre- or post-electoral violence will not be repeated in 2023.
“Even people with no coherent political ideology and development agenda of any kind also engage in do-or-die politics. The other issue is the lack of transparency in the electoral process, and the ungodly alliance of some security agents with the political class to subvert the process and confer undue advantage on one political party against the others.” Okoh said.
