Some issues that are agitating my mind as regards the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, are, whether God has left the Church and whether the body of Christ now communes with the devil.
For Christ’s sake, why would men of God be rooting for bad candidates because they belonged to the same denomination rather than go for a good man that will work for the people? Why should some anointed men of God turn the House of God into a political theatre, thus causing the Lord to take flight? For it is written that ‘my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”- Mathew 21:13
I am not speaking of the church as a building, for “God himself does not dwell in a house made by men.” In Ezekiel 10: 18, the Bible through the prophet told us of how “the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the temple,” thus leaving the children with only two principal options: Either (1): Hold on to their old assumption about God’s tie to the temple, which would mean that their God was in fact dead and gone; or (2.): Embark on the heartbreaking but creative process of considering that God must exist outside of the temple’s boundaries.
Penultimate week, a senior old friend of mine who is a clergyman called me on the position of the church in the upcoming Anambra State governorship election scheduled by INEC to hold on November 6th2021 .
I listened attentively to him as he spoke for approximately 15 minutes trying to impress me on why the next governor of Anambra State must come from the Anglican communion. He called this the ‘Anglican Project.’ I have no problem with that so long as the candidate being projected is fit for purpose.
I listened attentively to my cleric friend and tried to make sense out of the conversation while relieving myself of the words of God in Ezekiel 11:19. In my heart I prayed silently. “God will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh, so that you may follow my statues.”
I nevertheless reminded my good old friend that I don’t play religious card in politics. I told him that what we need is a good leader who understands the needs of the people irrespective of his or her religious affiliation.
When we face hardships due to wrong politics and bad policies made by our leaders, we all bear the consequence. The harsh economic realities we currently face do not discriminate whether you are of the Catholic persuasion or of the Anglican Communion. The markets treat us the same way.
All over the state, the people’s sufferings are the same and likewise their needs; what the people want is a governor that understands their needs; someone who will create a good economy; someone who will provide the kind of education that will enable them fit into the economy; who understands they need jobs when they can be employed; who understands they need to be paid for work they had done and that when they retire, they retire with respect and dignity.
The civil servants and pensioners want their salaries and pensions paid as at when due. The people want someone who will create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive. They want when they are sick to be able to go to a good hospital at affordable cost. They want to live in peace and security. Issues like these are what constitute matters of importance to the people and not denomination or religion.
People want to elect a leader who understands the issues as they affect them and who can assist in resolving their issues. They don’t want a leader who will compound their woes. Fortunately for Ndi-Anambra, assisting in resolving issues are key factors that drive Soludo’s interest in politics. Soludo remains our best choice now and he is capable of leading the state to a glorious future.
I further reminded my friend the clergyman that we are one in the body of Christ and that in all the religions and their respective denominations there are the good, the bad and the ugly. I told him that we must pray against the bad and the ugly from rising to rule over us, but pray and hope for the good to triumph over evil.
I explained to him that my rare upbringing does not permit me to play religious politics. My paternal grandmother came from Wamba in old Plateau State but now in Nasarawa State. She was a Muslim. My own mother was born a Roman Catholic. She married my father who was an Anglican. I grew up an Anglican and later became a Catholic at the age of 12 years when I entered St Peter Claver Seminary Okpala for my secondary education. I told him how I answered the altar call at the Latter Rain Church under the ministration of Pastor Tunde Bakare and how my attending the Dunamis Bible School sharpened my knowledge of God and helped define my purpose in life. I told him that I see all of God’s creations as one and not from the prism of denomination.
To my utter dismay, my friend told me that even if a thief is presented as governor, that they, the Anglicans under the so called ‘Anglican Project’ would support and vote for him so long as he is of the Anglican Communion. This conversation exposed the decay in the church and how much divided the body of Christ has become at a time unity is required most. A house that is divided falls.
In my conversation with this cleric, ‘Jesus wept’ for the second time! For if He were to come again and go through the passion Sunday, there would be Christians who though profess His name would rather demand that He should be crucified again. And like the Jews of old, they would ask that Barabas, the notorious murderer and insurrectionist be freed and for He, Jesus, to be crucified.
It is unfortunate that religion has dangerously crept into our politics. This ought not to be so. Politics is about serving the interest of the people and not clinging to the interest of any particular religion or denomination to the detriment of the people.
Some elements in the various parties have shown capacity to wrought evil. They have harassed, intimidated and subjugated the people. Only an insane population will reward such characters with electoral victory. It is even unthinkable that knowing our current persecutions and travails as Ndi-Igbo, that we shall be wishing a catastrophe on our people. Where lies our faith if we cannot discern good from evil?
As we count down to November 6th, we must turn out in our numbers to vote and elect that governor that will protect and serve the interest of our people better; someone with the right reputation to lead us. We cannot sacrifice our future and the future of our unborn generation because of few pieces of silver.
We have since left Egypt and closed down the chapter of thugs and godfathers abducting a sitting governor and burning down government facilities. We shall not return to such ignoble era. We know those that wreaked havoc on the state, and even if they pretend to have forgotten, we shall always remember because it’s about us. We must locate the will of God outside the prism of denomination and overwhelmingly elect a leader that will do us proud.