• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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2023: We’ll champion freedom of worship, patriotism – SDP’s Adebayo

Adebayo, SDP presidential candidate, asks FG to prioritise welfare of orphans, children

Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, says if elected, his administration will get Nigerians to be more patriotic and allow everyone to worship God peacefully.

Adebayo spoke at an interface organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) with all the presidential candidates of the 18 registered political parties contesting the 2023 polls in Abuja on Tuesday.

The SDP presidential candidate said the interaction between the state and the church requires more respect and understanding, noting that the CAN charter has been captured in the SDP’s manifesto which would be effectively implemented if he emerged victorious at the election.

“We believed in moving the country forward. The problems still fall back on the leadership of the country.

“The quality of human beings that have been leading the country is just like what happened to the children of Israel who said they can now have their leader and God gave them Saul.

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“So, to solve our problem, the leaders must be truthful and just. In this country, truth is an offence. If a leader is truthful, nobody will remember his religion or party.

“The church is to participate in politics. But don’t do it the way the politicians do it. Teach us the good way to do politics,” Adebayo said, adding that he will address poverty.

Daniel Okoh, the CAN president, said the parley was to review the Nigerian development because the association wants the progress of the country but it will not endorse any candidate.

Okoh said the country was engulfed in chaos, ranging from insecurity, adding that the CAN document to the presidential candidates is to help them review the crisis and address it.

“Yes, Christians must get involved in politics because it is biblical. Christians should not leave politics in the hands of people that are not supposed to be there. And leaders must consider righteousness in all they do,” he said.

“Part of what we are doing today is to ensure that righteousness is entrenched in the polity. CAN remains non-partisan – we will not endorse any candidate.

“That is why we invited 18 of you to come so that as we are looking at you, we will know whether you are telling us the truth because we have the spirit of God in us,” Okoh said.