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Christian Leaders in Nigeria’s Lagos State Encourage Voter Registration Ahead of 2023 Poll

Logo of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)/ Credit: Courtesy Photo

Christian leaders in Nigeria’s Lagos State under the auspices of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) are encouraging eligible voters to register massively for general elections scheduled for 2023.

“Our local government area officials are in the field to sensitize people on the need to update their voter cards in order to participate in the elections that would give the country better leaders come 2023,” the Chairman of CAN, Lagos State, has been quoted as saying in a Tuesday, February 15 news report.

Bishop Stephen Adegbite who was speaking on the sidelines of the media parley to announce the 2022 Inter-Denominational Divine Service says, “At the moment, the project is mobilization for voter registration.”

The official of the Christian entity that includes representatives of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) further says that “voter education and mobilization were essential to deepen democratic culture in the polity,” and adds that such education “would foster peace, harmony and economic growth of the nation.”

In the February 15 report, the CAN Chairman in Lagos State decries the rate of economic hardship in the country, its attendant insecurity and despondency saying the “era of imposition of incompetent rulers on the people was over.”

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“The period of cabals forcing rulers on the people has passed,” he says, and adds, “As a people, we need to seize the opportunity of periodic transition offered by the democratic system of governance to improve on our individual and national lives by electing competent leaders of our choice.”

Bishop Adegbite goes on underscore the value of mobilization of eligible voters saying such “mobilization will change to participation, choice of candidate to vote for, and securing of votes after the election to ensure that the people's votes count.”

“This is a democratic system and we must be part of the process that brings leaders over us and not rulers,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Christian leaders in Nigeria’s 19 Northern States have said the persistent scarcity of fuel and the pains of having adulterated fuel in circulation have further increased the hardship of citizens.

In a report published Tuesday, February 15, CAN Vice Chairman is quoted as saying, “Our leaders should show pity on hardworking Nigerians who are spending hours and nights at fuel stations, commuters who are paying high transport fares and waiting for a long time to get to work and back home after work due to lack of fuel to buy.”

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The report cites the statement issued by Rev. John Joseph Hayab in which the CAN official says Nigerians “are still battling insecurity, poverty, and now fuel crisis, and nobody has ever been held responsible for all the pains, sufferings, and the poor services that Nigerians are getting.”

The CAN official notes that the power distribution is “still poor and many Nigerians depend on fuel to power their generators at home.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.