Same Faith Ticket Would Put Peaceful Coexistence in Danger, PFN Says

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

A same-faith ticket would not serve Nigeria’s interests, according to the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), who also maintain that it might further jeopardize efforts to forge a united Nigeria and promote peace.

The National Secretary of the PFN, Bishop Cosmos Ilechukwu, said in a statement following an extraordinary joint meeting of its National Advisory Council (NAC) and National Executive Council (NEC) in Lagos that the same faith ticket, whether Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim, would not bode well for the unity and future of Nigeria. However, some political parties chose to disregard that advice.

Ilechukwu further emphasized that PFN has always been non-partisan in accordance with its constitution and framework for governance, but he also said that it has never been in the business of endorsing candidates and won’t be doing so in the elections of 2023.

PFN reaffirmed its commitment to mobilizing the church to ensure that all Christians participate fully in politics while enjoining its members to cast their votes at all levels in accordance with what is best for Nigeria and the Church, using the framework created by the Christian Association of Nigeria as a guide.

According to Ilechukwu, “The PFN will continue to engage and work with like-minded organizations and people to make sure that the 2023 elections provide to Nigerians and Nigeria a ticket that would promote the country’s unification in accordance with their aspirations and prayers.”

He said that the group would continue to be open-minded and inclusive, keeping the door open for dialogue with all political parties so that all the problems impeding Nigeria’s development and unity could be fully addressed.

Speaking further, he said: “Given the dire economic situation of the nation, which has further compounded the worrying state of security in the nation, with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other heinous crimes on the rise, the PFN resolves to continue to uphold Nigeria and the leadership of the country in prayer.

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“The PFN notes that even in the face of the unprecedented level of unrest in the nation, some political parties and politicians have acted in disregard of the precarious times we live in, made worse by the poor management of our fault lines, further polarizing the nation,” he added.