Christian leaders meet with Obi, Tinubu, Atiku, warn of divisive tendencies

Christian leaders across the country, under the auspices of the Nigerian National Christian Coalition (NNCC), have concluded plans to meet with presidential candidates from various political parties to negotiate the interests of Christians ahead of the general elections in Nigeria. 2023.

NNCC said that discussion with presidential candidates, especially that of major political parties, is part of the activities of its “Meet The Church Summit” scheduled for the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja, on September 20.

As a result, they said the parliament would bring the church and politicians together for a commitment to present the interests of Christians and to negotiate with politicians for the inclusion of the church in the Nigeria project.

Speaking to reporters in Abuja yesterday, NNCC official Titi Oluwadare argued that Christians can no longer be bystanders in the country, warning that "any politician who does not meet the church will fail in 2023".

Referring apparently to the same-sectarian ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the presidential election, Oluwadare said, "The imbalance must be corrected before the cliff topples." She stressed the need to put the national interest above local interests such as religion and ethnicity.

According to her, Christians represent a large part of Nigeria, but have failed to articulate a political vision and commit to honing it into interests and ideas.

His words: “The church is now awake and ready to constructively engage with other stakeholders in the Nigerian project. We are talking with people of all faiths, tribes and languages ​​for peace and national healing as well as national rebirth.

“In the Nigerian political system, there are three main interests and areas of focus. They are Christians, Muslims and tribal interests. Muslims in Nigeria have effectively translated their interests into ideas and political strategies and policies. The reality is that interests must be aligned, pursued and transplanted or transformed into policies, ideas and ideologies before strategic engagement and policies can positively evolve from there. The Muslims did it effectively, but the Christians didn't even start. »

The Executive Director for Policy, NNCC, Uzuka Chukwuemeka, said if the nation can get the right kind of leadership, it has solved a lot of its problems.

He added, "If church leaders are made to understand that they are the light, then we can get where we want to go. The narrative that Christians should not engage in politics because that it is dirty must change.The spiritual and the physical must be harnessed for transmission.

"If we get the right kind of leadership, our prayer points as a people will drastically decrease because we have solved half of our problems as a nation. If the country is unstable, then economic activities like all other sectors are bound to suffer.

“The time has come to fill the leadership gaps in the church. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is doing well, but the NNCC wants to fill the void that the CAN has not been able to fill. 'operate and tell it like it is. NNCC introduces the relationship between church and politics."