Christ Embassy Church sensitizes electorates towards 2023 general elections

Christ Embassy Church, Kaduna has urged Nigerians to shun thuggery and other electoral vices as the country prepares for another round of general elections in 2023.

Speakers at a public lecture organized by the Church with the theme, ‘2023: Ballot, not Bullet’, advised youths to kick against being used as hooligans and thugs during political campaigns by politicians, urging them to make their choices with the ballot boxes.

Dwelling on the theme, one of the speakers, Professor Toba Alabi of the Department of Political Science, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), said, “We should be grateful to Christ Embassy Church for bringing people together to educate them on the 2023 elections.

“The event is special because Nigeria is yearning for a change as a corporate entity. Today marks the 62nd Independence anniversary of Nigeria. And 23 years of democracy. We have never had it so long like this. So all Nigerians should be grateful.

“We have problems as a nation but with determination and zeal, we can solve these problems. We don’t need to be pessimistic, rather we ought to be optimistic about the future of this country in order to make Nigeria great. Every citizen of Nigeria has a role to play to that effect.”

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 “When we talk of ballots and not bullets, we are talking of free and fair election. Elections should not be violent. It is our collective responsibility to ensure election-free violence. We must see ourselves as equal before the law of the land.”

Another speaker, Professor David Day, a Professor of Psychology, called for love and unity among Nigerians, saying that the country has every resource to become a superpower nation.

“We should try to unify the nation. Nigeria can be a superpower if we have a unified nation. We must activate unity. If we don’t have unity, we have to start something to reach others. How can we have free and fair elections when people don’t understand each other? Let’s preach peace to the world. I can see that God is working in Kaduna. I was told not to come to Kaduna because it is dangerous. But here am I, safe.

“Kaduna has everything, human and natural resources to make it great. Somebody without love becomes a terrorist. Building Kaduna is building Nigeria. We should have brotherhood across faith”. Professor Day said.

For Pastor Marcel Obode, who is in charge of Christ Embassy Church, North West zone, “We have a programme we call reach out to Nigeria which has been on since 2007. It is an annual programme all over the country. This year we call it to reach out to the world through Nigeria. We call people together and sensitise them on how they can be useful to themselves and society.

“The burning issue now is the 2023 election. So we try to make people understand that there is no need to fight. You have to use the ballot. There is no need for violence. We are not repressing any political party here. We are only telling the people to vote according to their conscience. But poverty is a problem for our democracy. People sell their vote as low as two thousand naira.”

Shortly after the lecture, participants and other church officials embarked on a 30-minute street walk as part of activities to mark the 62nd Independence anniversary of Nigeria.