Primate of the Orthodox Anglican Church, Nigeria, Bishop Christopher
Umane, has revealed that he declined an invitation to pray for one of
the leading presidential candidates so as not to offend God.
While speaking to journalists on Tuesday, February 24, in Benin City,
Edo State, Umane urged President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and his opponent in the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to stop personalising political
campaigns.
“They approached me few months ago and wanted me to be part of a
group praying for one of the presidential candidates, they want to
corrupt the image of the church. I asked them what about my
responsibility, because I have a responsibility to all of them. ”
“In other words, in my church, I cannot tell my members to vote for A
or B, what I will say is look at what they said they want to do and we
are praying that God should give us a better candidate and a better
candidate will come from the things they are telling us they will do.”
“I will pray that God should give the better one. If you are
campaigning, give us the best manifesto, don’t say you are going to do
this or that and you are not going to tell me where the money is going
to come from, there are so many things they are taking for granted.”
“It is when they are bereft of ideas that they begin to personalize
campaigns, they have nothing to offer us that is why they are going
emotional, attacking themselves instead of issues. Somebody who wants
people’s votes should be able to say I will do this and that for you and
the people will have a reason to vote for you or not. They should leave
name calling – this one was a thief, this one is a thief, then I ask,
who has not been a thief?”