20th February, 2023
About 100 pastors in Nigeria’s South South State of Rivers have endorsed the presidential aspiration of the APC’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Nigeria goes to poll on Saturday to elect a new president to pilot the affairs of the troubled nation for the next four years.
The pastors, under the aegis of Rivers Pastors Unite for Tinubu (RPUT), said they believed it was only Tinubu who has the capacity to solve the numerous problems of the nation.
the Coordinator, RPUT, Pastor Sunday Edimeh, who is also Founder, One Life Bible Church, said none of the leading Presidential candidate had supported the Christian community as much as Tinubu did, as he had sown only good seeds on the soil of the Christian community and that such should never be dismissed.
He called on fellow clergymen and women to stand with the truth at this time, saying they were aware that a Presidential candidate is playing up Christian agenda but that the pertinent question “is before now, how has he uplifted the Christian community?”
Edimeh stated that the choice of a running mate did not in any way, pose a threat to the Christian community.
“Hence, let us dissociate from the cold-hearted proclivities of political transition, which seek to orchestrate needless divisions based on religious grounds. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has not presented any conduct to suggest his non-tolerance for the religious sentiments of all Nigerians,” he said.
According to him, as a matter of fact, Tinubu had through his personal life, demonstrated an utmost liberal nature and tolerance in giving support to his wife, Senator Remi Tinubu’s spiritual convictions to practice Christianity and serve as a minister of the gospel of Christ.
He added that the nation’s democratic political antecedent, with all past presidents and vice-presidents from Southern Nigeria being Christian, proved a fair disposition towards Christian stakeholders and that these religious debates were not founded on critical analysis.
“We urge the Christian community not to withdraw support based on religious grounds. We must remain loyal to the gospel of love into which we have been called.
“Having observed the rigorous campaigns of Tinubu, it goes without saying that the claims of him ailing are unfounded and should not be considered in the scheme of things.
“We, however, demand that he remains committed to delivering on all the campaign promises as failure to do so would amount to reputational damage and loss of trust which the electorate and respected bodies such as ours have bestowed upon him,” he said.
Edimeh stated that this statement was not in any way, a compromise of their faith or religious convictions, but rather, an acknowledgement of Tinubu’s candidacy and alignment with his plans and policies given a careful scrutiny of his presented manifesto.
The Nation reports that some clerics who attended the meeting were Pastor Julius Dan of the Apostolic Church Nigeria; Apostle Stephen Ngajaekwu, Christ King of Glory; Pastor John Monday, QWA Iboe Church, among others.