Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Ahead of the 2023 general election in Nigeria, the Archbishop Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Grace Most Revd Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim says that the Christian community in the country are not second-class citizens.
The Anglican Prelate stated this following the decision of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, to give its presidential and vice presidential tickets to Muslim candidates.
Briefing newsmen in Awka, the Anambra state capital as part of events marking his 60th birthday on Friday, the Archbishop predicted that Nigeria is likely to witness the emergence of Christian-Muslim leadership in the 2023 election.
Though the Anglican Prelate failed to disclose which among the contesting presidential candidates will emerge victorious, he said the winner will boast a Christian-Muslim combination.
Speaking on the state of Anglican under his watch in Awka diocese, province of the Niger and the state of the nation, respectively, the archbishop noted that the All Progressive Congress who chose option of Muslim-Muslim ticket will be surprised at the outcome of the election, describing the move as insensitivity to the place of Christians in the country.
According to him, “I am looking at Christian-Muslim leadership. That is, Christian should be on top while moslem comes under. That is what I’m looking at. But if one says it is Muslim-Muslim leadership the outcome will be a surprise because Christians cannot be categorized as nothing.
“We need to be holistic and truthful to ourselves, we must recognized that the church must not be played with.
“It is important that Christians should have a say in government because we are not second class citizens. By the time you start treating Christians as second class citizens, you have failed.
“So, it is in the interest of Nigeria that the church succeeds because anywhere that the church did not succeed, that place will go back to darkness.”
The archbishop blamed the reported endorsement of APC Vice Presidential Candidates by alleged team of fake bishops on the proliferation of churches in the country, warning that it is a sign of satanic agenda to attack and disrupt the church.
“I can’t blame them because proliferation has entered into the church. Nowadays, many people dress up and call themselves bishops and through this, the enemy has been attacking the church.
“But my own advise is this, if you claim that you are a bishop, let it be that God sent you. But if you are using God to deceive the people, the church and the nation, then get ready to pay the price because nobody will deceive the church of God and go free.
“What is taking place now is a sign of end time and the bible says that in the period of end times, perilous things will start to happen.”
He urged the people to be careful and avoid being induced into actions that will make them change their identity and enter enmity with Christ.
The Prelate also lamented the sufferings of Nigerians in the hands of the federal government insisting that the government of the nation has repeatedly failed to deliver the required good governance it promised the people.
“The government has failed the country and the people are suffering. Our children have stayed almost six months at home doing nothing.
“I say it clearly, the government has failed. The country has changed from bad to worst. What I see in this government is a complete failure and until we begin to address this failures constructively with truth then, things might get worst.”
He said those at the corridors of power must wake up and live to their responsibility as the leaders of the country if the country should be revived again.