By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Secretary of Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Dr. Sunday Ibrahim has called on Nigerian electorates, especially in Kaduna State to vote people with credibility and integrity in the forthcoming 2019 elections.
Speaking at his office at the Kaduna CAN headquarters when the leadership of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna State Council paid him a courtesy visit, he said the election should be based on individual performances and not on party affiliation.
“Nigerians must be prepared to vote credible people and not criminals that will continue to tell us lies when they get there. Voting pattern this time around should be based on individual performances and not on party platform. Again, politicians must learn from the 2015 experience. Whoever wins should be allowed to lead and those whoever loses must accept defeat in good faith.
“Today we have a lot of hunger in the land, Nigerians are suffering and our leaders seem to be comfortable with what is happening. What we need in 2019 is a complete shift from what we are having now and the only way to do it is for Nigerians to obtain the Permanent Voters Card and use it appropriately when the time comes,” he said.
On the clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers across the country, Dr. Ibrahim condemned the attitude of the federal and state governments in handling the crisis, adding that the nation has shed enough blood under the several attacks which he said should be stopped.
“The Federal Government has consistently told us that these Fulani herdsmen attackers are foreigners. They said the attackers are members of the Islamic State of West Africa ISWA who are on jihad mission. If that is true it then means that the government of Nigeria has failed us. But we are saying that enough of this bloodshed in our land,” he warned
Dr. Ibrahim said CAN does not belong to any political party; “But all political parties have our members. We are partners in progress with the press. You are the umpires that are not supposed to be biased. Journalists are the hope of the common man, so let us see you doing that in 2019 because you report can make or mar the elections. For us, we will continue to tell the populace the truth. And we will continue to partner with the Kaduna NUJ.”
Earlier in his remarks, the NUJ chairman, Adamu Yusuf told the CAN secretary that the visit became necessary in view of the recent happening in the state and the NUJ desire for peace in the state.
According to him, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and CAN are the two religious bodies in the country that have the largest followers adding that both bodies should make good use of such advantage in achieving peace in the state and Nigeria at large.
Comrade Adamu Yusuf also assured CAN that the NUJ will continue to partner with the two religious bodies to achieve lasting peace in the state.
