2019: Christians will not vote in religious bigots - Methodist prelate
- Rev Samuel Uche said he will mobilise the Christian community to vote against wicked and religious bigot leaders in 2019 general elections
- The cleric said that no religion or holy book encourages war and killing of innocent souls
- He warned the government against clamping down the opposition and also advised the opposition not to be making careless statements that would heat up the polity
The Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Rev. Samuel Uche, has said Christians in the 2019 elections will not vote for wicked and lazy politicians, who are religious bigots, The Punch reports.
Uche who said this in a sermon delivered at the 2018 Democracy Day Interdenominational Church Service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, added that although he had only one vote, he could influence at least two million voters from his denomination and many other Christians.
While saying impunity would no longer be allowed in the country, Uche said he was ready to take the bullet while fighting the menace.
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He said: “As we celebrate Democracy Day on Tuesday and as we remember our children today, I want to advise that we should avoid do-or-die politics. There should be no fear in politics. Let people be allowed to vote and let their votes count.
“We will work against all those who plan to manipulate elections; we will never allow that. And let me tell you that if they fire their bullet, it will not penetrate because God is with us. The God of Elijah and Elisha is our God.
“We will no longer allow impunity to reign in this country. I don’t belong to any political party but I can influence at least two million Methodists in Nigeria. I can also influence other Christians.
“We will never vote in anybody that is lazy; anybody that is wicked, anybody that is a religious bigot can never smell any office in this land. Those who mean well for Nigeria, God will preserve them. Those who are planning to hurt Nigeria, God will annihilate them. So, let us come together to build a nation where there is peace, love, harmony, tolerance, concord and synergy.”
The clergyman warned the ruling party against clamping down on members of the opposition parties just as he advised stakeholders against heating up the polity, saying the nation needed peace.
He supported the call for the establishment of special courts for urgent trial of corruption cases.
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Uche, however, said the present-day politicians acted with impunity because they had not learnt their lessons. He described 90 per cent of such politicians as chameleonic, asking them to change.
“Our leaders have failed to provide good leadership. They can’t organise simple primaries. There is in-fighting. What a shame! We need peace before we can build a nation of our dream. We need tolerance, forgiveness and forbearance,” he said.
Legit.ng previously reported that Vice president Yemi Osinbajo, at the 2018 Democracy Day inter denominational church service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja to mark President Muhammadu Buhari three year in office said never would corruption be allowed to have its hold on the country and draw it backward.
Taking his reading from the book of Exodus 15’4:10-15, Osinbajo compared Nigeria and its people to the children of Isreal went on a journey of nation building. The Lord he said had promised to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey.
According a statement by senior special assistant to the vice president on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, ”They had just left the captivity where they were been punished and cheated by Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
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Source: Legit.ng
