Pastor Peters Omoragbon, former governorship candidate in Edo State under the National Conscience Party (NCP) has lambasted church leaders who politicise the pulpit.
He also called on Nigerians to vote a person of track record and competence and not health.
Pastor Omoragbon took the stance during a media chat in Lagos on Thursday, February 9, 2023.
He took a swipe at Pastors who reduce the electorates to just Christians and Moslems in Nigeria saying it is not doing justice to the spirit and letter of the 1999 Constitution. “Reducing the electorates to just Christians and Moslems in Nigeria is not doing justice to the spirit and letter of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended, which proclaimed Nigeria a Secular State! Actions like that are already setting the grounds for a non-level playing ground for all the candidates. That is rigging before election.”
Omoragbon advised men of God to desist from partisanship or resign from the pulpit and join as a candidate in the elections. This he said would ensure free, fair and credible elections. “My advice for a free and fair election is first to advice my fellow pastors and general overseers of churches to desist from their partisanship and attempt to influence their members on whom to vote for. Civic education yes, but political indoctrination is akin to manipulation and that is the spirit of witchcraft. That is scriptural.
“When you begin to campaign openly for a particular candidate out of over 30 candidates, you are no more a Pastor but a politician. Resign or take a leave of absence from the pulpit and be a candidate,” he stated.
Omoragbon listed what he called the four ‘C’ criteria which should form the fulcrum for electing the next President; they include Capacity, competence, consistency and commitment.
Speaking on what made up capacity, he said “I laugh when I hear people measure capacity only on the basis of physical health to the point of mocking them. It shows the paucity of their intelligence and how petty they can be, that is discrimination. Today in developed world, people with disabilities run for offices and are elected. Even those recovering from some health conditions. Last year, the Democratic Senatorial candidate in Pennsylvania had a major stroke few months before election, still recuperating whilst campaigning and yet won the Senate seat for the Democrats. Angela Merkel of Germany had some form of Parkinson’s disorder, yet she was one of the best Prime Ministers of Germany. Theresa May of UK suffered from Diabetes, Ronald Reagan suffered from Colon Cancer and Skin Cancer. President John F. Kennedy was diagnosed with Addison’s disease around the age of 30. At the time, his doctor gave him less than a year to live. But he died 15 years later not from the disease, but from the bullets of his assassin.”
On how to discover who is most competent among the four major contenders for the presidency, he said “As a Pastor, I learnt that three ways you evaluate the ‘Presence’ of God in a Church-your personal testimony since you started attending, the testimonies of members and that of the Church Pastor. All three must flow together. So amongst the four major candidates, who had the most personal testimonial of achievements, evidence of/from people they have impacted who have come out publicly to vouch for them and the states they have all governed.
“Competence is the ability to do the job. How do you know who can, if you do not look at their track records. All the four front runners today for Presidents have been public officers, they are all Past Elected Governors. So look at their state track records in terms of both human and infrastructural development, compare and contrast. I do not believe in sentiments when it comes to service, Omoragbon said.
“Consistency. Anyone who junkets from one party to the other just to become a President is not The President to me, he is unstable and cannot be trusted. To lead means you are married to those you want to lead. That is for better and for worse till death do you part. Leadership comes with consistency.
Omoragbon now asked, amongst the four, who has remained consistently in one political ideological camp?
He spoke on commitment. He said “To be committed requires you stick to the ideals of the group you want to lead. You must be convinced before joining them. It’s like the faith. Either as a Christian or Muslim. Before I gave my life to Christ, I was a Pagan, but when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and saviour, I became committed to the Faith. Nothing till I die will make me change that faith. So when you are committed you are Passionate. If you are Passionate you are prepared to die just to advance and promote the cause of your group. Of the four candidates, who has been so committed to his Party? If you see what I saw with the above analysis, you already know who can be entrusted to replace Buhari. I cannot say who is corrupt or more corrupt-but then where is that Nigerian that is not corrupt? Who in the whole world is a Saint today?
He therefore advised Nigerians to vote their conscience. “To the citizens of Nigeria, please, vote your conscience. Do not vote by popularity or influenced by the social media campaigners or your Pastors or GOs. Look at all the candidates, anyone that appealed to you most, please, vote him or her. Even if he does not win, your conscience will be at peace. After voting, do not leave the polling unit until the votes are counted and recorded.”
