2023 Elections: ‘Christians’ Votes Must Count’…. As CAN, PFN, Others Mobilize The Church For Active Politics.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and other Christian groups are strategising on how to facilitate members’ participation in critical roles.

To this end, the five blocs in CAN have formed Directorates of Politics and Governance (DPG) to also give direction to Christians and church leaders on how to be in politics without sacrificing the ministerial ethics and Christian ethos.

Bishop Dr. Theophilus Taiwo Ajose, Special Adviser (General Duties) to the CAN Chairman in Lagos and State Secretary, CPFN/PFN, Lagos State, said the DPG at national and state levels had been involved in mobilising Christians to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) without which nobody would vote and be voted for in the general elections.

The DPG, Bishop Ajose, who also doubles as President, Organisation of Christians for Democracy (OCD), as well as State Director, DPG, Lagos PFN, disclosed that CAN/PFN had been involved in getting Christians to go to the grassroots to become members of political parties and register at ward levels.

Bishop Ajose, Presiding Bishop, Bishop Ajose Ministries International, said “all churches at ward levels will form caucuses at the DPG”. He added: “Each church at the ward level will get what we call the Church Officer in Politics (COP), who will represent us at that level of the DPG.

“At this level, we will ensure that the church is part of politics. We must determine things at ward level all members. All our members will register with political parties.

“We will determine who to vote for. It does not matter the party. We can use our numerical strength to determine the political equation in the country.” Bishop Ajose, also Zonal Deputy Director (South West), Directorate of Politics and Governance, PFN South West, maintained that as far as the nation’s politics was concerned, all political parties should know that it would not be business as usual. He said: “With the efforts of the church through the DPG under my watch, Christians’ votes must count.

“Pastors and ministers should stop going to campaign offices of political parties unless they are members of the parties. They should stop going there. “Campaign offices of political parties and candidates are not their churches. Campaigning for political parties and candidates from the pulpit should stop.

“They should join political parties if they want to campaign. Let everyone know where you stand. In PFN, we have ministerial ethics, which we must abide with.

Courtesy: Daily Independent

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