Christians Charged to Participate in Politics for Progress

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Archbishop, Abuja Metropolitan Province, of the African Church, Most Reverend (Dr) Peter Ogunmuyiwa, charged Christians to participate fully in politics in order to make a difference.

 Ogunmuyiwa said he was one of the bishops who stood against the Muslim/Muslim ticket, paraded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.

The Cleric, however, said he had a change of  mind when he had a personal encounter with President Bola Tinubu, shortly before the poll.

He stated this while speaking on the topic, “Church and Politics” at the 23rd Synod/Congress of Abuja Province of the African Church, yesterday.

He said: “The emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the President of the Senate has doused religious tension in the country.

“When I met President Tinubu before his election, he promised me that he would ensure that a Christian emerged the Senate President having phad a Muslim as the president and vice President respectively.

“Tinubu is a promise keeper. I expect the Senate under Akpabio’s leadership to stand for the people by allocating resources to where it is most needed because that is what will speak for you.

“Nothing is evil in politics. Practitioners make it look as if it is evil. We pray that Nigeria shall be better and great again.

“I congratulate President Bola Tinubu, the vice president and the Senate President. We are beginning to see the signs that it is no more business as usual,” he said.

Akpabio, on the occasion, described his emergence as the President of the 10th Senate as call for service to Nigerians and all round transformation of the country.

Akpabio, who was represented at the event by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, called on the Church to take its rightful position in the affairs of the country.

He said: “To me, this Senate President position is a call to serve our people and to transform Nigeria. I feel highly honoured and humbled that I am today in a position to support our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu in building the Nigeria of our collective dreams.

“I wish to state that God has special love for me. How does one explain the humungous undeserving blessings He continually showers on me? How would I have imagined that from my very humble beginning in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim, Local Government of Akwa Ibom State, that I, Godswill Akpabio will rise to the coveted office of President of the Nigerian Senate? Indeed, our God is marvellous and greater than all imaginations.

“I could not have missed this auspicious event given the significance of the theme of the occasion: The Church and Politics. The present challenge which our Country Nigeria is facing calls for urgent divine intervention through earnest fervent prayers.”

“By this, I do not in any way mean to undermine the role that we as leaders in whatever sphere, whether spiritual or temporal, must play to defeat the numerous forces that have held Nigeria down all these years.

“God’s willing and with renewed zeal and commitment, we shall begin to see progress in religious, political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of our lives.

“It is imperative that the Church upholds its responsibility of serving as the moral compass and a reorientation platform for the citizens.

“Nigeria will only make meaningful progress when every stakeholder and key player participates in nation building.”