Flamboyant and Eloquent Preacher - Rev. Chris Okotie has urged Nigeria's major political gladiators - President Goodluck Jonathan and General Buhari to accept result of polls with " equanimity"
See excerpts of the Facebook post below:
"The admonition becomes imperative as the paradox of
the structure of our politicking continues to baffle even
the most optimistic watchers of events. This troubling
trajectory means that the events of the days following
the March 28 elections may be critical as we still have
another round of voting on April 11, 2015. The heated
campaigns have been worrisome to observers and we
hope this process ends well.
With hindsight, we can say that our politician’s inability
to resolve intra and inter party conflicts amicably is a
serious flaw in our nascent democracy. The
cheerleaders in this cesspit of murky politicking are the
beneficiaries and cronies of politicians who have
benefits at stake in this degenerate style of partisan
politics.
Also, aside this media gibberish that marked these
campaigns, the dangerous trend of unruliness which
the rampaging foot-soldiers and campaign trains have
subjected the same electorate they are courting to, is in
itself a show of absolute disregard for the people;
Nigerians went through temporary lull in economic
activities because of these elections, and one can only
hope that whatever losses they have suffered is worth
it at the end of the day.
Despite the ominous picture which these campaigns
painted in the minds of the electorate these past weeks,
voters must be wise and not be swayed by the ethnic
and religious sentiments which have been some of the
underlying emotions that the devisors of these calumny
campaigns have adopted, as we go for the next round
of voting.
Section 102 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended)
prohibits the employment of base sentiments as
campaign or broadcasting tools.
Yet, it is ironic that despite this law, in full glare of the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and
the law various enforcement agencies, sectional and
faceless support groups have openly deployed these
emotions in their campaigns. A critical question in this
vicious circle is this: Can our aspiring leaders who
emerge out of the rummages of these elections stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with their counterparts around the
world with their uninspiring display of primitive
politics? The answer is no!
After 16 years of a chequered and stagnant democratic
run, what we need now is not a cunning sleigh of hands
in relying on specious sentiments; to upstage
opponents, rather, we need to be won-over with outlines
and timelines of realistic re-structuring agenda on
issues that affront the progress of our economy.
Okotie reminds us: “Politicians seeking elective offices
are being asked questions about their record of public
service; about their integrity; about their competence or
lack thereof. It is a whole new ball game; a far cry from
some previous elections when the outcomes were
generally well known before the ballot was cast… We
must see impact-driven growth and the evidence of our
rising economic profile on our citizens. What we
demand from our politicians is how to revamp the
economy to achieve a strong, private sector-led growth;
not how they would tear the nation apart if the elections
don’t go their way”.
The Pastor-Politician rounded-up his message
brilliantly: “Millions are going to vote because they
want their lives changed or transformed, not because
they expect to die in the exercise… Every Nigerian must
therefore hear this loud and clear: go out and vote; and
equally important, respect the outcome. Let the
politicians receive this with equanimity and
philosophical discernment”.
God bless Nigeria and Nigerians so that the labour of
our heroes past must never be in vain."
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