The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, on Sunday urged Nigerians to reject vote-buying and selling ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ndagoso, who is the Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, made the call in Osogbo, Osun State, in his address at the opening session of the second plenary meeting of the CBCN, hosted by the Osogbo Catholic Diocese.
The cleric, who noted the growing disenchantment among Nigerians over fears of possible manipulation of the electoral process, also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure credible elections.
According to him, distrust in the electoral process and fears that votes may not count could lead to low voter turnout, stressing that INEC must work hard to deliver free, fair and credible elections.
“This should place our country on the path of international respect and integrity. There is a need to ensure that voters’ cards are easily available to all eligible voters, removing any obstacles and helping to culminate in election results that reflect the true choice of the people.
“Anything short of transparent, free, fair and credible elections in 2027 would be a serious disservice to our country,” he said.
The CBCN President also urged the political class to act in the national interest and called on all eligible voters to come out in large numbers to vote for candidates of their choice.
He commended INEC for the recent conduct of the Osun State off-season election, which he said was adjudged free and fair by election observers and analysts.
“What happened in Osun elections has given a glimmer of hope and confidence to many Nigerians. We hope it is a good sign of better things to come in the 2027 General Elections. Consequently, we call upon the Lay Faithful to step into the public square armed with a well-formed conscience.
“We call upon and encourage our lay faithful and indeed all people of goodwill to reject vote-selling and buying, and resist the temptation of political cronyism and cynicism. In this, the good people of Osun State are a shining example, and we thank them for being good pace setters.
“You came out, voted and guarded your votes to ensure that they count, and they counted. It happened in Osun; it can happen elsewhere and everywhere in our country,” he added.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in an address delivered at the event by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, acknowledged the importance of the Catholic Church, the Papacy and the conference to peace and development in Nigeria and across the world.
He commended the significant contributions of the Catholic Church to the country’s education and health sectors, saying, “In the history of this federation, the Catholic Church has earned an impressive place as a driver of enlightenment through education and health facilitation, through human capacity development and through peace-building across society.
“The church deserves accolades for its positive impact on the lives of several generations of Nigerians. As you gather for this year’s conference, I urge the church to intensify prayers for the peaceful and successful conduct of the 2027 general elections in Nigeria. As much as the Catholic Church is on the front line of electoral peacebuilding, we need divine intervention to secure the nation and the political process.”
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