Anglican and Roman Catholic leaders in Nigeria’s Delta State told a political rally it was their Christian duty to register to vote.
Speaking on 14 Nov 2021 at the Great Anointing Favor Bible Church International in Effurun, Delta State, the Bishop of Asaba, the Rt. Rev. Justus Mogekwu, said to ensure Nigeria had a government that was responsive to the needs of its people, all citizens must exercise their voting rights. “If men who are righteous and fear God are in power, the people rejoice,” he said at the rally organized by Christian Community Platform (CCP).
The bishop further urged all Anglican priests to require those seeking admission to Holy Communion to have a PVC, a permanent voter’s card. Bishop Mogekwu maintained that “if men who are righteous and fear God are in power, the people rejoice”.
The Anglican bishop’s views were echoed by Fr. Koga Ithanasius, a Roman Catholic priest and chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the Patani local government area of the Delta State. “It is a sin not to register to vote,” Fr. Ithanasius said.
The 2023 Delta State gubernatorial election will take place in early 2023. Incumbent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governor Ifeanyi Okowa may not seek reelection to a third term due to term limit rules. The primaries will be scheduled for late 2022 or early 2023.
