The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has appealed to Nigerians to put away ethnic and religious differences and allow the divine will to prevail in the 2023 general elections.
The CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, gave the verdict in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday.
“We should shun religious and ethnic bigotry and allow the will of God to prevail because God’s decision is the best, we should be patriotic and God fearing,” the CAN President said.
He urged Nigerians irrespective of tribal, religious, sectional or political party inclination to resist any attempt capable of causing disharmony and disaffection ahead of the elections.
“We should see the elections as a period of peaceful transition of leadership which is the bedrock of democracy not war,” he said.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must strive to see that the elections were peacefully, credibly and violence-free,” he said.
He explained that the Commission had no excuse to fail, as four years was enough time for it to have perfected the process and eliminated the glitches that featured in previous elections.
“We hereby call on all relevant authorities to beef up security, especially in communities vulnerable to attacks to ensure that no citizen is disenfranchised,” he said.
“We expect the security agencies to be neutral and unbiased while discharging their duties during the elections,” he added.
He urged all the political parties and candidates seeking elective positions to accept the results of the polls in good faith and in the interest of nation and its unity.
The group also noted the current economic hardship and the sufferings which is biting hard on the citizens due to the shortage of naira notes and pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to address the situation.
“We call on all faithful in the nationwide not to relent in praying for our dear country because prayer is the most potent instrument of warfare.
“Let us tell ourselves the truth that the current economic, and security situations do not give joy to anyone, but we should keep our hopes alive,” he said.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")