Church News

We’ve not endorsed Tinubu —PFN

From right, the National Chairperson of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Women wing and the wife of the PFN President, Reverend (Mrs) Victoria Tokunbo Oke; the PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke; the National Secretary, Dr Cosmos Ilechukwu; Bishop David Bakare; the Deputy National Secretary, Dr Nkiru Azike; the National Welfare Officer, Bishop Emmah Gospel Isong, at the PFN held Extra-Ordinary joint NAC and NEC meeting, on Thursday, at the Redemption Camp, Lagos.

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has said it has not endorsed the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying its earlier stand against Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket subsists.

The Christian body disclosed this at its National Executive Council (SEC) meeting, which was held at its National Secretariat at Aswani, Lagos State.

The meeting also revealed that PFN can now facilitate pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Israel through an arrangement by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Michael Freeman, who visited the body before the SEC meeting.

Speaking to newsmen after the SEC meeting, for the last quarter of the year, PFN National Deputy President, Archbishop John Daniel said the recent meeting by the Northern Christian leaders with the APC Presidential candidate, should not be taken that PFN has unanimously endorsed the candidate.

He said, “As for the meeting with Chief Bola Tinubu by some bishops from the Northern part of the country, it was a meeting just to listen to his programmes and not for endorsement. This was clearly stated and that was it.”

The body maintained that it still frowns on the Muslim-Muslim ticket, charging its members to look out for credibility, reliability and capacity to move Nigeria forward before voting for a candidate.

“As a body, we have been praying for a peaceful general election and that everybody should take responsibility by getting their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) and be strategically prepared to vote for candidates who have the capacity, integrity and credibility to move the nation forward,’’ he stated.

According to him, the body is still praying and consulting towards the election and will come out with its final resolution when the time comes, “we have not changed our stand because we are still part of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and we are still frowning at the Muslim-Muslim ticket as we believe that the church can vote for candidates that are credible and competent.”

“Remember that our president, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, addressed a press conference recently where he clarified that we are looking beyond just what it is but for competence and people that can move the country forward.

“The church frowns at the Muslim-Muslim ticket but we believe this is not a dead end and we are yet to come up and say this is the person we should vote for because we are still consulting and praying,” he said.

He said, part of the outcome of the SEC meeting is that PFN can now facilitate pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Israel, based on its meeting with the Ambassador.

The Israeli Ambassador was received by PFN National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke and other executive members.

The Christian body said it has visited Bayelsa State to reach out to some flood victims and plans are underway to replicate same in Kogi State.

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