The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, has called on Nigerians to correct what it described as “past mistakes” in choosing the country’s next President during the 2023 elections.
The organisation called on the people to shun politicians who play the dual cards of religion and ethnicity as a smokescreen for their sinister interest, saying that Nigeria cannot afford to elect such people in 2023.
The CSN said Nigerians inflicted the present pains on themselves because of previous errors.
According to the CSN, the errors of the previous election circle was what plunged Nigeria into serious pains.
The National Director of Social Communications in CSN, Rev. Fr. Mike Umoh, stated these during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Friday.
He said, “The next dispensation, which we eagerly look forward to with hope, does not give room for trading blames or for those petty partisanship, which have often been defined along tribal, ethnic, religious or political affiliations.
“These tools in the hands of typical politicians have been used for too long to mesmerise and exploit the people; most politicians use them as a smokescreen to hide their clandestine interests and ambitions.
“Now, more than ever, is the time true Nigerians must rise in unison to act and lend their voices to all that is good and noble in order to save our country. It is time to wise up and correct mistakes of the past that have plunged the nation into the excruciating pains we now experience.
“The only reasonable political consideration now left to choose from, irrespective of our tribe, tongue and religious beliefs, is between truth and falsehood, good and bad, the oppressed and the oppressor, and the loyal and disloyal citizens of our country.”
Umoh also decried the level of political apathy of citizens, noting that millions of citizens do not yet have the permanent voters’ card while many who have one fail to vote on election days.
“We cannot wait for another chance, if we are blessed to have this one (2023), and we may not have another chance to rescue this nation, if we fail to take advantage of this one.
“In view of this, every good citizen of Nigeria must go out to obtain their voter’s card while INEC must ensure that this process is made easy for the people and their votes are made to count during election,” he said.
