Politics

2023: Christian Leaders To Meet Presidential Candidates

Published

4 years ago

September 9, 2022

Ahead of the 2023 elections, plans for a meeting between presidential candidates of various political parties and Christian leaders under the aegis of the Nigerian National Christian Coalition have reached an advanced stage, our correspondent has learnt.

“Come the 2023 election, you must meet the church, or you’ll fail. The leadership must know that life and peace matter and we all will have a nation that we all can be proud of”, they said.

The parley would bring the church and politicians together for an engagement to lay down the interests of Christians and negotiate with politicians for the inclusion of the church in project Nigeria.

The meeting would enable the Christian leaders to negotiate on behalf of Christians in Nigeria.

The leaders said the discussion with presidential candidates, especially that of the major political parties, would top the agenda for their “Meet The Church Summit”, scheduled for September 20 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The convener of NNCC, Titi Oluwadare, stated these during a press conference on Friday.

According to her, Christians can no longer be spectators in the country, warning that any politician who fails to meet the church “would fail in 2023”.

Oluwadare in an apparent reference to the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress despite the national outcry said the imbalance must be corrected before the country falls over and tips over the precipice.

She stressed the need for national interests to be above parochial interests such as religion and ethnicity.

According to her, Christians represent a big chunk of Nigeria but has failed to articulate a political vision and engage together to horn it into interests and ideas.

Oluwadare said, “The church is now awake and we are ready to constructively engage with other stakeholders in the Nigeria project. We are discussing with people of all faith, tribe and tongue in a bid for peace, national healing as well as national rebirth.

“Across the political system of Nigeria, there are three key interests and focal areas. These are the Christians, the Muslims, and the Tribal interests. The Muslims in Nigeria have effectively translated their Interests into ideas and political strategies and policies.

“The reality is that interests need to be harmonised, pursued, and transplanted or transformed to Politics, Ideas and Ideologies before strategic engagement and policies can evolve positively from there. Muslims have done this effectively Christians have not even started.

“The tribal interests have also been harmonised across Nigeria. We have Biafra, the Arewa and the Oduduwa interests politically. These interests erroneously has buried the National interest and identity and are causing Division amongst the youth because tribal interests have been superimposed as the main and exalted interest above National interest and identity.

“We are also saying we will no longer be ignored, used and dumped, manipulated as a block, enslaved, dictated to and disregarded.

“The NNCC recognises however that until the church engages and brings forth her interests and drives it into ideas and fashions out political strategy, the system will not be sanitised, neither can we play the role of responsible citizens who engage to turn around the tides in the favour of the common man, or who even engage to level the playing ground in our Nation and act as a voice of reason to check the excesses of other interests represented in the dynamics of political power in Nigeria.

“Therefore if this continues Nigeria will continue in the circle of retrogression, impunity and lack of accountability in the nation and the situation will continue to deteriorate even further.”

She said that church leaders had been widely consulted is to use NNCC as a pressure group and political negotiation tool for Christians.

The NNCC Executive Director in charge of (Politics), Uzuka Chukwuemeka, said if the nation can get the right kind of leadership, then it has solved a large chunk of its problems.

He said, “If church leaders are made to understand that indeed we are the light, then we can get to where we want to be. The narrative that Christians should not engage in politics because it is dirty has to change. The spiritual and the physical must be harnessed for impartation.

“If we get the right kind of leadership, our prayer points as a people will reduce drastically because we have solved half of our problems as a nation.”

Related Topics:#Tinubu 2023 election Atiku Peter Obi

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Politics

JUST IN: Why I left ADC For NDC With Kwankwaso – Peter Obi Opens Up

Published

18 hours ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has given reasons why he resigned from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to join the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, alongside a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In a long post on X on Monday, Obi insisted it was not out of anger or ambition.

Rather, he said the move is a continuation of the quest to build a new Nigeria.

Obi wrote: “Yesterday, I formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside my dear brother, Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with one clear purpose: to continue the struggle for a new Nigeria built on justice, competence, accountability, and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian.

“As I stated yesterday, this decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience. It came after deep reflection on the present condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from the dangerous path it is currently heading.

“Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my conviction that politics should never be about individuals, positions, or personal gain. It must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities, whose businesses are collapsing, whose children are losing hope, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain.

“I left the ADC for the same reason I left the Labour Party: the severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process. I sincerely appreciate and remain deeply grateful to the Leadership of ADC for the opportunity to work together in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for his exceptional Leadership. I also deeply appreciate my Leader and elder brother YE, Atiku Abubakar, as well as other respected leaders within the party.

“As we join the NDC, I sincerely appeal to the Nigerian Government against the encouragement of unresolved litigations and the infusion of crises within political parties. Democracy must never become a weapon against the people. A healthy democracy thrives on strong institutions, credible alternatives, and the freedom of citizens to make choices without intimidation, manipulation, or fear. Opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, because when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer.

“Nigeria today is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Poverty is rising. Hunger is widespread. Insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Businesses are shutting down daily. Our young people are becoming discouraged, and many citizens have lost faith in the system. At a time like this, leadership must be driven not by propaganda or division, but by competence, capacity, character, and compassion.

“Our decision to join the NDC is therefore not an abandonment of values, but a continuation of the same mission we have always stood for: building a Nigeria where leadership is about service, where public resources are managed responsibly, where institutions function independently, and where every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region, or social status, can live with dignity, security, and hope.

“I remain committed to working with all Nigerians of goodwill across political, ethnic, and religious lines. The task before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our children and the survival of our dear nation.

“I thank Nigerians, especially our youths and women, for remaining peaceful, resilient, and hopeful despite the enormous challenges confronting the country. I urge you not to lose faith in Nigeria. Nations do not change because people surrender to hopelessness; they change because people continue to believe, continue to sacrifice, and continue to stand for what is right.”

Politics

Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Formally Join NDC, Warn Members Against Litigation

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned party members to steer clear of any form of litigation that can plunge the party into chaos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday after he was formally joined the party alongside the former governor of Kano State,

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso , the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party(LP), urged members to embrace dialogue in the interest of the party

“Please let there be no litigation. Party members, please don’t go to court. We want to build a party, we are not lawyers,” he pleaded.

The two political figures were received into the opposition party on Sunday at its national secretariat in Abuja.

Earlier, Obi had announced his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Kwankwaso had indicated he was engaged in “wide-ranging consultations” with the NDC.

The National Chairman of the party, Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, presented membership cards to both leaders at the event.

Speaking afterwards, Kwankwaso said their engagement with NDC stakeholders was driven by a shared vision and ideological alignment.

“We came to discuss with stakeholders of the party and found that our ideologies and beliefs are largely the same,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to register with the NDC ahead of the deadline for party membership registration, stressing the need for broader participation in the political process.

Politics

Edo South Senatorial Seat: Nothing Wrong Seeking Wike’s Support – Ogbeide-Ihama

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2026

Editor

Edo South All Progressives Congress’ senatorial aspirant, Omeregie Ogbeide-Ihama, on Saturday said that there is nothing wrong seeking the Federal Capital Territory Minister, nyesom Wike’s support for his political ambition.

The former House of Representatives member was reacting to insinuation in some quarters that he had gone to meet the FCT Minister for help in order to get the party’s ticket.

Ogbeide-Ihama, who spoke when he visited the leadership of the Edo South Senatorial District to declare his intention to contest the senatorial seat, said if such insinuations of meeting Wike for support was true, there is nothing bad so far meeting Wike can guarantee him the ticket.

Ogbeide-Ihama appealed to the senatorial leaders of the party to give the ticket to the most qualified aspirants, stressing that “it is not a game of try your luck or gamble.”

According to him, among the aspirants, he is the most qualified having gone to the House of Representatives twice.

He stressed that he feels most qualified and experienced to be saddled with the responsibility and not someone who wants to learn on the job.

Ogbeide-Ihama, while stating his ordeals when contesting on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said his billboards were pulled down several times yet he won the election.

He added that now that he has joined the APC, the election should be easy sailing because he is now one of them.

He further appealed to the leadership of the party that they should know that times are changing and the world is gravitating towards the youth, adding that as a youth, he should be sent to represent the senatorial district because he still has the strength and energy to champion the cause of the seven local government areas that make up the Edo South Senatorial district.

Earlier, the Edo South Senatorial district leader and former deputy governor of the state, Pius Odubu, said that the election should be seen as that of a family affair.

He appealed to Ogbeide-Ihama to go about his campaign in a peaceful manner