The Catholic Bishops warn against malpractice, saying, “We strongly condemn as illegal and culpable all forms of selling and buying votes and advise all politicians and voters to refrain from doing so.”
They referred to the Vatican II document on the Church in the modern world, Gaudium and Spesand encouraged the laity of Nigeria to engage in “political activity” and help establish “moral order” in Africa’s most populous nation.
“We urge our lay Catholic faithful, especially those who have talents for the difficult but noble art of politics or whose talents in the matter can be developed, to prepare themselves for it,” the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria have said. in their statement shared with ACI Africa in September. 15, adding that engaging in politics requires sacrificing “material conveniences and interests”.
Addressing the clergy in the message titled “The Threshold of a New Dawn in Nigeria,” RCCS members urged priests to guide lay people interested in active politics to promote the “dignity of the human person.” .
“While working to promote political activities and good governance that guarantee the dignity of the human person, justice and equity in society, priests have a duty to guide the lay faithful,” the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria.
They cautioned clergy against active politics, saying, “Without prejudice to their rights to exercise their franchise, priests should not use the pulpit to promote any particular political party or its candidates.”
CBCN members have urged the Nigerian electorate to “come out in droves” and vote for people with “unassailable integrity” to get the country out of the current predicament. They said: “It is through the right political choices that our current situation can be improved.
“While it is not for us as religious leaders to dictate to political parties the choices of their presidential, vice-presidential and other candidates, we have a duty to advise citizens to keep in mind the implications of these choices when electing the next round of leadership candidates,” they said.
The Catholic Bishops added: “We therefore renew our call on all our faithful, laity and clergy, to come out in droves to vote for people of unassailable integrity, who have the right character, capacity and background to lead our nation. . get out of the current socio-political and economic slump, regardless of partisan, religious and ethnic affiliations.
In their message read on September 15, RCCS members also called for civic education to “develop political awareness” among the citizens of Africa’s most populous nation.
