Involve the Church in Electoral Processes, Methodist Church Tells FG

The Federal Government had been advised to involve the religious bodies in the electoral processes and body if the country must build a free and fair electoral process in the country.

This piece of advise was given recently by the Men’s Fellowship of Methodist Church in Nigeria.

The Fellowship which believes that the inclusion of clergymen from the two well-known religions will help the nation's electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC, to conduct free and fair elections, informed that the involvement of bishops and Imams in the electoral process and body remained the only condition for credible elections in 2015.

While addressing newsmen on the activities making the 17^th Annual National Conference, held at the Methodist Church, Ogbe, Adeokuta, the National President of the fellowship, Dr Samuel Ejiofor said that the electoral body should not be left alone to lawyer-politicians, who are only loyal to those that appoint them into positions.

Speaking further, he added: “You cannot have a good leadership when you have an electoral body that is made up of politicians who have political interests”.

The cleric, who urged the Church to join hands in the fight against  the problems facing the country, including Boko Haram said: “Let there be some clergymen in our INEC. If possible, let’s get an archbishop to chair INEC, but as long as you leave the electoral umpire to the politicians, you cannot get good results”.