2023: Why we won’t endorse any candidate —Catholic church

AS 2023 elections draw closer, the Catholic Church said it would not be involved in partisan politics or endorse candidates seeking elective positions, saying though its members belong to various political parties, the church should not be seen as taking sides. 

The church observed that it has always encouraged its members to join political parties and play politics to bring about good governance the country is yearning for. 

Speaking during a media parley organised by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), the priest in charge of Church and Society, Reverend Father Uche Obiechina said politics is about governance, pointing out that “if we remember the establishment of states, it is about people coming together to volunteer their rights to established institutes. 

He added that the Catholic Church in Nigeria and beyond support politics and encourage members to participate in politics. He, however, pointed out that the Catholic Church does not play partisan politics, but the members of the church are expected to play party politics. 

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“The church as an institution ought not play party politics. Party politics means politics of APC, PDP, PRP and others. The church cannot play such politics because there are members of the church that are in the political parties, and the church cannot identify with any political party, but identifies with its members in the various political parties. 

“That is why the church cannot bring a candidate and tell its members to vote, the church does not do that and will not do that but the church will encourage its members to join politics and vote for any person of their choice provided that such a candidate represents your conscience”, he explained. 

The Catholic priest maintained the church is mobilising both Christians and non-Christians ahead of the 2023 general election to participate in politics and bring out the common good the country is yearning for. 

“Ahead of the 2023 elections, the church is mobilising Christians and non-Christians to rise to the reality of politics; it is through politics of governance that we can bring about the common good, that our country needs”, the clergy added. 

He said if Christians continue to avoid politics because they say it is a dirty game, then the dirty people will continue to rule and the clean people will become victims of bad governance.