An initiative for Christian and Islamic religious leaders to interrogate the capacity of political office aspirants has been launched. The move spearheaded by the Dr. Kenny Martins-led Legacy Initiative International, hopes to enthrone the God factor in the consciousness of voters to enthrone good governance by political office holders.
LII hopes to bring Christian and Muslim leaders together after separate conclaves of the Christian clergy in Lagos and Islamic leaders in Kaduna.
Martins, grand patron of the group, was flanked by other patrons, including Bishop Bayo Babalola, Bishop Oscar Ossai, Prince Chudi Chukwuani and the group’s national secretary, Chief Johnny Ucheagha, at the media unveiling of the initiative in Lagos.
Noting the past roles played by the group in stabilising the country’s democracy, Martins, however, lamented that the group’s efforts had been seemingly frustrated by the enthronement of leaders without capacity to drive the country.
Noting that despite the abundance of churches and mosques in the country that the God factor had been totally removed from governance, Martins said:
“Let the Christian and Muslim leaders sit together formulate a template for solution and play the power game together, interrogate the candidates and when you have found them worthy you preach about them from the pulpit and from the mosques.”
“We are canvassing now for PVCs and people are getting aware, the Adeboyes, the Oyedepos are doing so, but when they have gotten these PVCs, what do they do with it?”
Noting that it was inappropriate for Christians not to bring their first eleven in moral quotient to governance, he said that a campaign for religious leaders to sound out their congregations on the suitability of the candidates presented by political parties would help to redirect the governance of the country.
“Let the first eleven from the religious leaders take over the government so that our country can move forward.”
“Let the Christian and Muslim leaders sit together formulate a template for solution and play the power game together, interrogate the candidates and when you have found them worthy you preach about them from the pulpit and from the mosques.”
Also speaking yesterday, Prince Chukwuani, formerly national chairman of the National Democratic Party, NDP said:
“There is a common thread tying Christian and Muslim leaders in the country and that is good governance. We are about to go on the second lap of the meeting of all Christian leaders in Lagos, meeting of all Muslim leaders in Kano/Kaduna and this will be followed by a convergence of the two for peace.
“We have to set a different narrative to save Nigeria. We do not want to introduce perpetual conflict in Nigeria. They are going to pick their candidates but all we are saying is that let the PVCs count for once.”