The South-East chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has banned politicians from carrying their campaigns to churches.
The South-East CAN Chairman, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, who placed the ban yesterday in Enugu directed all pastors and bishops in Anambra State and the entire South-East to henceforth disallow politicians from using the church as campaign arena.
The ban followed last weekend stampede at Uke Adoration praying ground in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State where no fewer than 20 worshipers lost their lives.
Chukwuma, who is also the Anglican bishop of Enugu, warned that people should come to the church to worship God and not to turn it to a campaign ground.
“No politician henceforth is allowed to carry his campaign train to the church and begin to make unnecessary promises or make donations that are frivolous to buy the conscience of the people.
“Anambra people should be ready to vote according to their conscience and shun money-bags who come to entice them with money, the mandate of the people must be respected,” he said. He also called on church members and pastors not to be partisan in whatever they do.
“We are very much concerned about what happened, we commiserate with the families of the people who lost their lives, and we feel concerned about it. We, therefore, call for a neutral investigation in Anambra, not the investigation by the state government because the state governor was allegedly involved. So, the Federal Government should set up an investigation panel to find out the remote cause of this stampede that happened immediately after the departure of the governor.
“What we are seeing today in Anambra State is a desecration of the church, people should go to the church to pray and be saved and not to go to church to die, we are very much worried over what happened. I, therefore, call on politicians to stay clear of our churches with their campaign trains; they should only go there to pray and then leave to do their campaigns outside, in town, not in the churches again. They should also allow the people to vote according to their conscience because I believe that the peoples mandate will determine who will rule the state. Politicians do not need to induce the voters with money, they should allow the will of the people to determine who will rule them,” he advised.
Chukwuma said they are praying for Anambra State for a successful election even as he urged the South-East Christians to remain prayerful so that the political programmes in Anambra would work out to the glory of God.
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