From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Rev. Daniel Okoh, has allayed fears that the 2023 general elections would break up the country.
In a sermon during 2022 Annual Convention and Christmas Concert of Christ Holy Church International in Asaba, he declared that God was with Nigeria, and would never abandon it and His creation.
The General Superintendent of the church said: “The coming election will not break Nigeria. As a matter of fact, 2023 is the year of golden opportunity for Nigeria. 2023 is year of opportunity to elect leaders who will turn around the fortunes of Nigeria.
“God has already chosen those who will lead the people come 2023 and since God is interested in the government and the economy of men, then the people should be involved because God will use people to turn things around for the country. Do not be afraid because we have God who dwells among us to chose our leaders and watch over them and to hold them accountable.”
The cleric condemned those attacking INEC offices and urged Nigerians to be prepared to vote for the candidates of their choice to lead the country out of its present travails.
Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who took the only lesson at the event, assured Nigerians that they would rejoice again as the nation would overcome its present travails after the elections. He urged Nigerians to pray to God who alone could turn situations around for the good of the people.
He said God who had allowed Nigerians to pass through the last seven years of tough time had a lesson for citizens to learn from the experience. He said Nigerians were facing challenging times which required the people to go into self-retrospection.
The governor said the sufferings of today would definitely pass away and a new life would come for Nigerians, adding that “rather than grumble and blame people, spend the time to pray to our God because He alone can turn things around.
“The convention is for us to be enriched such that when we leave for our various homes, we would have been assured that our lives have been affected positively. As Christians, we all know that God always want to be with us. But the question is, are we ready to be with God?
“The benefit of Christian life is to allow God to be with us and dwell in our lives and as children of faith we can do nothing without Jesus so we must struggle daily to abide in Jesus,” he said.
“This, certainly is not the Nigeria of our dream; so, what do we do in this time? It is to call on the name of our God to touch the lives of our people so that we will do His will.
“These are interesting times for politics and politicians because as we talk to the people it is only God that knows our hearts and He alone knows those He has prepared to lead at this time.
“Our people must be prayerful and watchful so that God will truly lead us as a church and as a people so that we don’t act with the trauma of the times.”