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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, His Lordship, Most Rev (Dr) Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has advised members of the National Assembly to abide by the wishes of Nigerians in their amendment of sections of the Electoral Act.
He emphasised that members of the National Assembly should restore the confidence of the people in the country’s electoral process.
Ugorji gave the advice at the weekend during his pastoral visit to St Columba’s Catholic Parish, Amaimo, in the Ikeduru Council Area of Imo State.
His words: “The scheduled 2027 general election is fast approaching. All hands must be on deck to get it right this time.
“Feelers from the National Assembly are not giving most Nigerians cause for happiness. There are specific expectations of the people in the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.”
Continuing, he said: “We appeal to members of the National Assembly, to take cognisance of people’s wishes if they really appreciate that they are representing us and amend the law in line with the wishes of the citizenry.
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“We expect our lawmakers to do everything possible to restore people’s confidence in our electoral process. This is what will bring credibility and full participation of the people in the system.
“With the number of years already put into our democratic engineering, there are things that should no longer be experienced in the nation’s electoral system.”
Ugorji recalled with regret how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had, in his view, bungled the 2023 general elections with the infamous announcement of a glitch, which he noted had dampened the enthusiasm of the electorate.
“We recall with regret how, in the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced the infamous glitch.
“This sadly dampened the enthusiasm of the voting public in the subsequent gubernatorial election. We do not want a repeat of this anomaly in whatever form in 2027. This is why the National Assembly should please help enact the appropriate law that will govern the electoral exercise.”
The cleric appealed to citizens who are 18 years and above to not only get registered but also be prepared to exercise their civic duty in the forthcoming general election.
“We must bring out only the best among us for public offices. We must resist the temptation of allowing moneybags and godfathers to buy their way into public offices. I urge Nigerians not to be deterred by the antics of some people in the political field. Let’s resolve to be part of a new beginning, because only the best should be best for our dear country and its citizens,” he said.
