Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) on Tuesday called on it’s members not to vote people who will attack and persecute the church.

The call was made by the COCIN president, Rev. Dachollom Datiri, while speaking at the 94th General Church Council meeting ongoing at the church’s headquarters in Jos.
Datiri said, “Hitherto, the church had stood aloof in the selection process of leaders in the country.
Now we can no longer afford to do so.

“We call on our members to not only register as card carrying members of political parties but to be intimately involved in the selection process so as to present credible flag bearers for various offices.

“Also we can no longer afford to vote people who will attack and persecute the church. Those vying for political offices must tell us clearly what they will do for us if we give them our votes.

On the Federal Government’s fight against corruption, the COCIN President said, “We heralded the fight on corruption of the Buhari Government when he started, but now we are being forced to distance ourselves from it.

“As a church, we cannot associate ourselves with any fight against corruption that is bias and gives a semblance of targeting the opposition.

“We call on Buhari to regain the confidence of Nigerians by being fair and just in this fight”.
Speaking on insurgency, the clergyman said, “This government promised Nigerians to stamp out insurgency in a matter of months.

Now three years into this administration, there appears to be no end in sight.
“Instead, what we see is an increase in it, as well as indications of the security playing double standards.

“Government must rise up to her responsibility. It was the late General Sani Abatcha who said, ‘if insurgency lasts more than 24 hours, the government has a hand in it’.

Credit: Agabus Pwanagba

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2019: Don’t Vote People Who Will Attack, Persecute the Church – Rev. Dr. Datiri