Religious, traditional leaders restrategise ahead of 2023 elections

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Religious and traditional leaders from different faith under the umbrella of Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) are evolving strategies which they hope to deploy to rescue Nigeria from the grip of current political leaders whom they claim have  worsened the socioeconomic fortunes of Nigerians through bad policies.

Co-Chairman of IDFP, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the meeting of the traditional and religious leaders in Abuja, yesterday, said they have resolved not to continue keeping silence or sit on the fence on political issues in the country.

Onuoha said they would take steps to mobilise Nigerians to fully participate in the process that would produce credible and competent leaders to pilot the affairs of the country.

He challenged traditional and religious  leaders to leave their comfort zones, roll their sleeves and mobilise their people to participate in the forthcoming elections.

Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Bakut Tswah Bakut, who delivered keynote in the meeting which had as its them: “Building and sustaining the culture of peaceful elections in Nigeria: The role of faith and traditional leaders” said elections remained the acceptable means of effecting changes in government in contemporary democracies, hence increased participation is required for more accepted choices.

He said that creating the culture of peaceful elections was a task that required the transformation of institutional structures,  like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), judiciary, security agencies involved in elections, and their operational instruments, like the electoral laws.

Former Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, said Nigeria was at a crossroads and that its  democracy was seriously threatened by the worst of insecurity.

“All the Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones face unique security challenges from Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents in the North East, marauding bandits in the North West and North Central, IPOB-ESN in the South East, pirates and cultists in the South South, armed robbers and cultists in the South West.

“From Adamawa to Zamfara, the death toll is mounting. Images of massacres are too gruesome to watch and the stories from survivors too heartbreaking to hear. But hearing and watching we must, because this is the reality under which our people have been living silently for years.”