From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha and Nwimo Chukwudike, Awka

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked Christians, especially church leaders to get more involved in the process of electing leaders, saying the country needs a God-fearing president in 2023 to tackle its numerous challenges.

CAN President, Daniel Okoh, gave the charge during the 75th birthday celebrations of the General Overseer of Grace of God International, Paul Nwachukwu, in Onitsha, Anambra State.

He said Christians had been relegated to the background in the scheme of things in the country’s leadership plans, especially in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election.

The remark may not be unconnected to the same faith presidential ticket of Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima of All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the pool of choices from the Christian community in the country.

The CAN president called on churches and church leaders across the country to team up, form a united front to reposition the leadership of the nation.

“It has gotten to the point where we have realised we have a common enemy. To tackle the enemy, we must make sure we breakdown the walls of division.

“We must come together in unity, close ranks as a united force and make the necessary changes in our country,” he said.

He said time had come for Christians, particularly church leaders, to ditch the old ideology of concentrating on the pulpit but get involved in the political leadership to salvage the country and enthrone sanity in the process.

He encouraged church leaders to develop interest to serve in the larger political space and emphasised that “the people cannot know the true character of church leaders if they are not known outside the pulpits.

“If we really want to serve God and represent His purpose in this country, then Christians must get involved, the scripture is very clear on that when it said ‘when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice’.

“To get the righteous on the throne, we must be involved in the process. It is time to get the righteous people into the political positions to bring the change the country desires.”

He said 2023 elections would offer electorate the best opportunity to elect leader of their choice through the ballot box, expressing the belief that the Church has a great role to play in the emergence of the next president.                                                    

He said the Church would be able to produce the president of their choice if the members could unite and forge a common front by coming out to vote massively during the next year’s election.

The chief celebrant and former national vice president of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Nwachukwu, said the ministers of God, rather than people, should play the decisive role in who becomes the president.                                                               

He said people should be guided by prophetic utterances and direction to be properly guided in the matter of choice of the next president for the country.                                                    

The founder of Grace Theological Institute and Broadcasting Network said with the divine programme to install a heavenly mandate as the president, God would nullify all negative and evil machinations by the political class and their ilk to continue to put the country down.                                                                

According to him, the only setback towards achieving the purpose of God to give Nigeria a true leader after His heart is if some of the churches are founded without walls.                           

He said the idea of forming an outreach ministry in which the trainee-missioners will be equipped and empowered to go to the hinterland and win souls for Christ is geared towards producing oaks of righteousness and end-time soldiers.                                      

Meanwhile, Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, congratulated Nwachukwu on his new age, describing him as one of the pillars of development in the state.