Religious Leaders Won’t Leave Political Space To Politicians – CAN President

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Most Reverend Daniel Okoh, has said religious leaders in the country have resolved not to leave the political space to the politicians alone..

Okoh said they would get involved in the process to sanitize the nation’s politics without being partisan.

He said this during his visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Penthouse residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital according to a statement on Wednesday by Obasanjo’s media aide
Kehinde Akinyemi.

Okoh stated that this was among the resolutions reached at the Inter Religious Council meeting held in Lagos, recently.

He said, “The council  has  resolved not to leave the political space to the politicians, that the religious leaders must get involved, not to be partisan, but, must give leadership to make sure that the values of our religion are brought to the space to help us live in peace and work for the unity of the nation, including fighting for justice. We are committed to the call Baba made.

“In 1976, you started with the establishment of this association, the CAN and in September 1999, you formed the Inter-Religious Faith Council 1999. On the political sector, you set up the National Political Reform Conference, which I am privileged to be a delegate, representing the Christian faith. These were the few I could remember as I was planning for this visit.

“Baba, you have played important roles in the political history of Nigeria and Africa,  particularly your current role in the Horn of Africa, where the task is to ensure peace in the region. These are no doubt, valid contributions to christianity.”

Obasanjo in his speech said politicians would wreck Nigeria if religious leaders did not intervene.

The former president warned that if politicians with no fear of God were allowed  to dominate the political space, the entire country would regret it.

He appealed to religious leaders in the country to stop  bad politicians from destroying the country .

He said, “In the next election, if we do not watch it, it may make or break Nigeria. And I pray that it will make Nigeria.

“If you stand on the truth, you stand for justice and equity, it is then that politicians will not be able to mess us around and I will say it with all sense of responsibility now, if we do not watch it, the politicians will wreck this country and we will  all regret it.

“And where can we look for salvation, that is where you religious leaders have a significant role to play.

“I think it’s the mistake of the past , that we say politics is not for the righteous. Now, if we take the righteous away from politics, and we leave politics to the unrighteous, the unrighteous will smear the righteous with the unrighteousness that they will carry into politics and will have no where to go.”

He however commended the CAN President for his remark and said the Sultan of Sokoto had spoken about Okoh to him personally.

“I must say, I am impressed with you and the Sultan, who is already singing your praises. You both can make a turn-around. You can work together.

“”Having both the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of CAN already on the  same page, may be our politicians will listen, and if our politicians don’t listen, may be our people will listen,” Obasanjo added.