The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna, Most Reverend Timothy Yahaya, has called on President Bola Tinubu, National Assembly and state governors to prioritize governance for which they were elected rather than focusing on campaigning for re-election in 2027.
The cleric, who pointed out that it was too early to start election campaigns in just the mid-term of the present administration, criticized political leaders for prioritizing power retention instead of addressing the numerous socio-economic problems confronting the nation.
“Before this regime is two years in office, they started politicking, I think this is a bad culture for governance in our country. And I want to plead with the authorities, let’s play down politics. How can we finish an election before a full circle, we are already campaigning for another circle? What happened to governance?.
“I want to plead with our politicians, I want to plead with the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and INEC, if it is possible, all political activities should be banned. Only nine months to the election, that ban should be lifted so that those who are elected to govern this country can give us their best.
“Honestly speaking, I don’t think it’s a good development that we have not seen good governance, and we see billboards everywhere. It’s very insulting, very degrading and other civilised climes will think we are jokers in this country”.
Bishop Yahaya also took a swipe against opposition politicians who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing them as mere opportunists whose action was driven by selfish reason, and not for any ideological convictions.
He said: ” These politicians should ask themselves, do they even know where they are coming from and where they are going?. Most of them in APC today, I can say without any fear of contradiction, 70 per cent of them have been in PDP. So, it is the same group of people. And who are they? They are all opportunists, anywhere the National cake is, they want to eat from it.
“In fact, what you call opposition in Nigeria, as far as I am concerned, is not today. Today, if the national cake goes into the hands of the another party, the same people will migrate because their stomach is the reason for looking for power and leadership in this country”.
