By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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Ahead of the next Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, (CBCN) has stressed the need for Nigerians to vote for reliable, competent and viable leaders who are capable of governing the nation for the common good.
The clerics in a communique issued at the end of the first plenary meeting of the CBCN held at the Resource Center, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) Durumi Abuja, described the forthcoming elections as a great opportunity for the people to choose wisely capable and good leaders.
The communique, signed by the President, CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri and Secretary, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, released in Ado-Ekiti by Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese was titled: “Citizens Participation In Good Governance In Nigeria”.
The clergymen said “Our votes are precious; we must use them well, encouraging all citizens to come out enmass to vote for God-fearing, honest, vibrant and transparent leaders for a better Nigeria.
The clerics equally urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that its officials are transparent, honest and unbiased before, during and after the conduct of the elections.
“We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and its officials to ensure that they are transparent, honest and beyond reproach in their conduct in the entire electoral process .
“We will continue to enjoin the commission to make sure that the newly adopted technologies for accreditation, transmission and collation are transparently and sincerely deployed and not manipulated to give false results”.
The clerics said the media have a crucial role to play in entrenching good and democratic governance, by providing the necessary information that empowers the citizens not only to engage the political class in debates on issues that affect their lives, but also, to exercise their democratic choices and take informed decisions about public issues.
