Nigerian Christians deploy 1000 election observers, urge members to be vigilant

For the first time, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has released a total of 1000 election observers across the country to monitor the 2019 general elections.

The association has also urged Nigerians to pray that the elections would hold as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ).

The President of the association, Rev Samson Ayokunle, who was speaking on Sunday during a service at the Trinity Baptist Church, Ajobo, Ibadan, Oyo State, said the observers would take note of malpractices that may arise during the elections and relay same to the control room at the Christian Secretariat in Abuja.

“You know, for the first time in the history of CAN, we are sending election observers across the federation to observe how elections are going on.

“If there is any malpractice anywhere, they will report (it) immediately to the control room at the Christian Secretariat in Abuja. We are sending 1,000 election observers across the federation and we had never done that before. It costs money but we are committed to it,” he said.

Read also: Foreign observers advise INEC on how to regain public confidence in new election dates

He noted that except Christians take this week to engage in prayers, it was not certain the elections would hold “if it’s about the things we see in the spirit.”

He noted, “About what is happening in the country, I want you to pray very well this week. If it’s about the things we see in the spirit, it is not sure that elections will hold at all. We won’t want elections to hold like they didn’t hold; if that should happen, it would cause trouble or even lead to war.

“Please, pray very well this week so that the elections might be able to hold on February 23 as the INEC has said. The postponement, to us, is a national embarrassment.”

He stressed the need for prayers against “People who think they are powerful” and were bent on sabotaging the electoral process to suit their selfish and personal interest.

“People who think they are powerful and want to cause problems for us, God Himself will give them problems and bind them. God will take power from them.

CAN, however, expressed confidence in the leadership of INEC’s Chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood who “cannot play with the collective wish of Nigerians.”

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