Catholic priests
Nigerian Catholic priests have appealed to the electorates to study
the antecedents of candidates in less known political parties and vote
for them in the 2019 general election, according to Daily Post.
The priests under the aegis of Catholic Caritas Foundation of
Nigeria (CCFN) and Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), two
agencies of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) while
congratulating APC candidate, Kayode Fayemi, on his victory, in a
statement on Monday by Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, Director of CCFN and
Executive Secretary of JDPC, commended the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) for conduct of the election.
They also advised all other parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to
“accept their defeat in the good spirits of sportsmanship as was
exemplified by Fayemi in his earlier defeat and by the excellent example
of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who in our opinion deserves a Noble Prize for
Peace by the very fact of his concession in the 2015 Presidential
Election.”
The statement reads: “Caritas Nigeria and JDPC, the relief and
development organs of the CBCN join well meaning Nigerians in
congratulating Kayode Fayemi as governor-elect of Ekiti State in a
keenly contested gubernatorial election.
“From reports on ground from our observers, INEC did a credible
job, and if there was anyone that attempted to compromise the process,
it was the two major political parties, with their strategy of vote
buying. INEC has demonstrated transparency in the declaration of
results, and we hope that leading to the 2019 elections, the same
transparency would suffice.
“Let no one be deceived that Ekiti people voted for a political
party; they certainly voted for Fayemi because they could compare his
previous tenure with that of the outgoing governor. We use this
opportunity therefore to urge Nigerians to, come 2019, vote for credible
candidates irrespective of their political party.
“Nigerians should take time and study the antecedents of
candidates in less known political parties and vote for them, so that we
do not keep on recycling people with baggage that is inimical to the
common good. Only garbage is good enough for recycling.
“Caritas Nigeria and JDPC once again urge politicians to be
mindful of their utterances and their actions, as they may not be able
to control the consequences. Whatever should promote goodwill and
understanding should be pursued against a political space that is fast
becoming a vent for insipid and infantile egoistic projections.
“We are however concerned that a nationwide election with a
paucity of security personnel spread thin might throw a challenge to the
outcome, as security men may be overwhelmed by party faithful who
employ touts to carry out ballot snatching and other forms of rigging.”