2023 elections: Nigeria doesn’t need hate speeches – Baptist president

The President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Revd Israel Akanji, has charged religious leaders to use their “enormous influence over their followers” to encourage participation in the electoral process and to shun all forms of violence. He gave the charge on Tuesday in Abuja in his address at the Interfaith Press Conference organised by Community […]

The President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Revd Israel Akanji, has charged religious leaders to use their “enormous influence over their followers” to encourage participation in the electoral process and to shun all forms of violence.

He gave the charge on Tuesday in Abuja in his address at the Interfaith Press Conference organised by Community Life Project (CLP)/ReclaimNaija in collaboration with religious leaders.

Akanji, who is also the President of All Africa Fellowship, said the religious leaders had a moral obligation to protect poor and vulnerable citizens, especially people at the grassroots and in rural communities. 

The former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, while speaking on hateful and divisive rhetoric on the pulpit, said Nigeria needed healing and cleansing and not “hateful speeches and fiery rhetoric” that could destabilise the nation. 

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He urged INEC to ensure that no citizen was denied access to their PVCs due to administrative lapses, delays, or inefficiency in the distribution process.

He also called on the electoral body to consider extending the deadline for PVC collection at the ward level beyond the January 15 deadline.