2023: What Nigerians must look for in next president – CAN

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has advised Nigerians to carefully assess the qualities of the presidential candidates before deciding on the best among them to support in view of the need to salvage the country from its current woes.

In a viral video online, Sarah Omakwu, founder of Family Worship Centre, was seen delivering the CAN’s message to her congregation.

In the message, the Christian umbrella body said the electorate must consider the character, competency, capacity and policies of the presidential candidates before deciding who among them should be voted into power next year.

On character, CAN stated, “The person must fear God, honesty and truthfulness, respect for the rule of law, justice and fairness for all. Respect for religious and ethnic diversity.

“Compassion and discipline, clean and credible lifestyle, non-membership of cult, no involvement in drugs and witchcraft, non-fanaticism, no relationship to Boko-Haram and other violence religious groups.” The Christian religious umbrella body further stated that the electorate must also consider the competence of the preferred presidential candidate; that is performance in positions occupied in the past, stressing that education attainment was necessary since he is managing a complex society.

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“Quality performance in various positions, education (good enough to manage a complex society) and effective management of human and natural resources,” it also stated.

The religious body stressed that the capacity of the preferred presidential candidate should be considered, saying that the candidate must have the ability to envision transformation, communicate the vision to diverse peoples, and effectively execute the vision of transformation and with good health.

Speaking further, Omakwu told the congregation that CAN also demanded that policies of the preferred candidate should include state police, religious neutrality of the Nigerian state, enforcement of fundamental rights of all Nigerians and restructuring to decentralise governance.

The group also demanded listed enforcement of fundamental rights of all Nigerians, equitable and enforceable sharing of executive positions.

“Equal ethnic and religious representation in military and security agencies; self-determination for all Nigerian people; No to Ruga, yes to ranching.

“Education and free health care for all Nigerians including (Almajiri). No open-grazing, rather modernisation of animal husbandry and local control of local economy, including waters, rivers and forest,” CAN stated.

Nigeria’s presidential poll, in which a successor would be elected to succeed incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, is slated for February 25 next year.

Eighteen political parties have presented candidates for the election, but there are four front runners in the race, they are; Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).