The Christian Association of Nigeria declared on Sunday that Nigerians will not choose a candidate to succeed President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) in 2023 based on their political party. The organization claims that Nigerians no longer vote based solely on the candidates put forth by political parties. In his lecture titled “By faith, provide leadership” during the 2022 men’s conference of Christ Holy Church International, CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh made this claim. He asserted that voters, especially Christians, will choose candidates in the upcoming general election based on their present qualifications and prior performance.
Okoh stated God’s people should make sure they are familiar with the candidates before casting their vote. He said things are starting to shift in Nigeria and there was a time when people cast their votes depending on the political party that was supporting the candidate; if you were on a party’s ticket, you were safe. People today evaluate persons based on their trustworthiness, character, experience, capacities, and antecedents relative to the jobs they aspire to fill.
The CAN President criticized the threat of vote-buying in the nation’s electoral process and argued that the populace must start questioning the intentions and programs of politicians before choosing who will be given a mandate for the following four years. He also warned politicians against misleading the public to get their support. Additionally, he expressed concern over the employment of youths in political thuggery, warning that this development posed a threat to the democracy of the country.
