Dr Lawrence Ekwok, the chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, in Cross River State, spoke with Vanguard on 2023 polls, and the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket among others.
On the PFN resolution on 2023 polls
The PFN is the umbrella body for all Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. On June 16, 2022 we held a National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the PFN in Lagos comprising all the 36 states Chairmen and Abuja, the FCT along with all the national officers led by the National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke.
One of the resolutions taken at that meeting was to declare June 26, which is the last Sunday of June Permanent Voters Cards, PVC, Sunday in all Pentecostal churches across the country.
What that means is that leaders of churches are to ask their members to attend services with their PVCs. The essence of that is to be able to know how many of our members have PVCs and how many have not gotten theirs. That will accord us the opportunity to help those who have not had theirs.
Ultimately, the idea is for us to have the statistics of how many church members are registered voters because we see a situation where we are likely going to vote for just one candidate so that we would know the number of votes we have.
Before now some churches were not keen to mobilise their members and this has generated apathy among the people, how do you intend to tackle the situation?
Let me begin with the position of PFN. As pastors, in the past we felt we should restrict ourselves to praying for leaders and only told our members casually to try and register and on election day go out and vote their consciences . But like I told someone somewhere, we have realised that we are not doing our complete job.
If you study the Bible, you would see that prophets anointed kings. For example, Elijah anointed Jehu, Nathan anointed Solomon, Samuel anointed Saul and he also anointed David. You may ask what anointing is , and I will tell you anointing is the process of enthroning a leader. This is the authority God has given you and this is the way to lead the people. For us in PFN, we felt look, haven seen what we have seen these past years, the heat is on pastors and churches.
Look, if you saw what happened in this church the past two Sundays after services, you would have marvelled at the queues waiting to see the pastor. Some had no need for counselling but some assistance So we feel we should be more involved in the process of electing leaders That way we can take responsibility and that way if the person is not doing well, we will call him to order.
The reason we look at these present leaders and allow them do what they are doing is because they know we did not have a part in putting them there. That is the reason they are doing what they are doing.
Christian leaders are no longer going to sit on the fence. We are not going to pretend about it. We are not voting for parties, we are voting for candidates. We can vote for candidate A in presidential election in one party and another candidate in party B in the governorship election
On the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket
Such a thought is the height of arrogance, it is the height of insensitivity, it is an insult to the body of Christ,an insult to church . That is why they don’t want to insert the position for religion in the census. Let them put that even if some people bring fake figures and animals to be counted, the world would know how many Christians are in Nigeria, how many Moslems, how many atheists – why are they afraid.
The truth is Christians are in majority in this country. Our research team has found out that Christians are 54% of the population in this country, maybe more but not less. And if you want to win an election as President of Nigeria and you undermine 54% of the population are you ready for victory?
They think they would continue to do what they used to do like carrying ballot boxes and ballot papers to a particular place to thumbprint; then they have missed it. Look, because they could not do what they used to do, they resorted to the use of money to buy votes.
Even this use of money, if the EFCC is serious it will not happen. 2023 will not be business as usual. I read that one governor says he will deliver 100% votes to one presidential candidate and o said he will come and hold my hand to press for the candidate because if I don’t press for the person it is not 100%.
Some people just talk as if they are God. Do they will bring the materials to your house and you thumbprint or how is he going to achieve that?