…says Christians’ involvement in partisan politics’ll reduce corruption
The Christian Association of Nigeria says it has begun moves to ensure the election of a Christian as the next governor of Osun State in the election scheduled for September this year.
We are pushing for a Christian governor in order to transform Osun
As part of the strategies to achieve this, the Vice-Chairman of Osun State CAN, Rev. John Adeniyi, and the Chairman, Strategy Committee of association, Rev. Jacob Asani, said in an interview in Osogbo that the Christian body had decided to hold a one-day seminar for church leaders, Christian Non-Governmental Organisations, Christian traditional rulers, Christian political executive members, party leaders, journalists and all Christian political aspirants in the state.
The CAN leaders argued that followers of Christ should be actively involved in the politics of Nigeria.
They noted that the seminar entitled, “The Duty of Christians in Democratic Governance,” would educate and sensitise all Christians in the state about their role in governance and the need to shun corrupt tendencies capable of plunging the state and nation into retrogression.
CAN further said that the active involvement of Christians in partisan politics would right the wrongs inherent in the nation’s political system.
Specifically, the umbrella Christian body argued that once true and born-again Christians got involved in partisan politics, there would be an end to corruption and other vices that had for long been plaguing the country.
Adeniyi further said that the Christian body in the state would be happy if a true Christian could be elected the next governor of Osun State.
According to the CAN vice chairman, Osun State would experience a significant turnaround if a Christian became the governor after the September 2018 poll.
The cleric said, “We will be happy to have a Christian governor in Osun State. We are pushing for a Christian governor in order to transform Osun. Christians should stop judging politicians from their rooms, but they should go into politics and transform it. We want to infuse it in our people that they don’t need to be under any occultic society before they can win elections because it is unfortunate that many people shed human blood to attain political position in Nigeria.
“We don’t have any political party that we are supporting. We are not partisan. We don’t have any party in mind to support. We don’t have any aspirant we are supporting. Our pulpit is not for supporting any candidate. All we are saying is for Christians to go out and become party members and have their voice heard in order to transform this nation.”
The CAN leader further argued that it was time Christians got involved in the practical governance of the country.
Adeniyi said, “The politics of Nigeria is unique to Nigerians. People expect politicians to be praised. We have been saying the truth. It’s not that the opposition party is using us. We expose bad government as regards what we see. We want to see politics in Nigeria where everybody will be alive to their responsibilities.
“Christian leaders should be well informed about governance. Majority of the people that fought for independence in Nigeria were Christians, but it is saddening that Christians are not really playing key roles in politics of Nigeria again. Pastors should stop condemning Christians who go into politics. We need to be involved in politics. We want Christians to go into politics and sanitise it. If the right people, true and born again Christians are there, corruption will be drastically reduced or even brought to an end. Christians should participate in politics and that is what we are encouraging.”
