"We won’t vote for religious bigots in 2019"

The Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Rev. Samuel Uche, has said Christians will not vote for wicked and lazy politicians, who are religious bigots in the 2019 elections.


He said although he had only one vote, he could influence at least two million voters from his denomination and many other Christians.

Uche said this in a sermon delivered at the 2018 Democracy Day Interdenominational Church Service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja where Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo warned Nigerians to resist the temptation of asking to be returned to the era of the past characterised by corruption and ethnic conflicts.

While saying impunity would no longer be allowed in the country, Uche said he was ready to take the bullet while fighting the menace.

He said, “As we celebrate Democracy Day on Tuesday and as we remember our children today, I want to advise that we should avoid do-or-die politics.

“There should be no fear in politics. Let people be allowed to vote and let their votes count.

“We will work against all those who plan to manipulate elections; we will never allow that. And let me tell you that if they fire their bullet, it will not penetrate because God is with us. The God of Elijah and Elisha is our God.

“We will no longer allow impunity to reign in this country. I don’t belong to any political party but I can influence at least two million Methodists in Nigeria. I can also influence other Christians.

“We will never vote in anybody that is lazy; anybody that is wicked, anybody that is a religious bigot can never smell any office in this land. Those who mean well for Nigeria, God will preserve them. Those who are planning to hurt Nigeria, God will annihilate them.

“So, let us come together to build a nation where there is peace, love, harmony, tolerance, concord and synergy.”

The clergyman warned the ruling party against clamping down on members of  the opposition parties just as he advised the opposition members to avoid crying wolf where there was none.

He warned all stakeholders against heating up the polity, saying the nation needed peace.

He also described the calls for the breaking of the country as nonsensical, adding that those behind such calls were ignorant.

The cleric said Nigerians must learn to live together in peace.

Uche also called on the Federal Government to revisit the report of the 2014 National Conference with a view to picking the recommendations that would be useful to the nation.

He  advised the government to stop apportioning blame and pointing fingers, saying it was a waste of time.

He supported the call for the establishment of special courts for urgent trial of corruption cases.

According to the clergyman, Nigeria personifies the biblical Job at this time because the country’s problems and challenges are many.

He said the nation’s past heroes meant well for Nigeria and they worked for the nation’s progress.

Uche, however, said the present-day politicians acted with impunity because they had not learnt their lessons.

He described 90 per cent of such politicians as chameleonic, asking them to change.

“Our leaders have failed to provide good leadership. They can’t organise simple primaries. There is in-fighting. What a shame! We need peace before we can build a nation of our dream. We need tolerance, forgiveness and forbearance,” he said.

Uche urged the Federal Government to review the bogus salaries and allowances of those in authority downwards, saying they could not continue to be enjoying while the people were suffering.

He enjoined them to allow the little national cake to go round so that everybody could have a bite.

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“Hawking is evidence that all is not well with our country. Many young people are deprived and that is why I call on the government with all due respect to review the bogus salaries and allowances of those in authorities because they are squandering our money.

“They engage in bogus spending leaving us to suffer; this must stop. We must allow our little cake to go round so that each one can have a bite.

“Our government should ensure something is done about our porous borders in order to checkmate the incidence of migration of miscreants, irresponsible cannibals and wicked people into our country,” he said.

Uche said former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently told him about a Yoruba proverb that meant that a family could only know peace if there were no bastards.

“All those who are troublers of Nigeria are bastards. A family only knows peace where there are no bastards.

“No holy book encourages war or hostility. Why then do we have hatred, malice and intolerance?

“I blame religious leaders of different faiths who collect money. They are wicked, malicious, and satanic,” he said.

Despite all the ills, Uche said he saw hope for the country if only Nigerians could agree that the amalgamation of 1914 was a divine one.