Clerics in Ikorodu Lagos take 2019 elections to God

Some religious leaders in Odogunyan-Ogijo axis of Ikorodu on Friday held a Joint Prayer Session near the Odogunyan Military Barrack for success of the 2019 elections.

Drawn from the Christian and Muslim faiths, as well as the traditional religion, the leaders prayed against violence in the polls.

The Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Odogunyan, Rev. Fr. Damian Alonze, said that the coming 2019 elections were decisive to Nigeria’s progress.

He urged security personnel drafted to cover the polls not to deviate from their mandate.

The cleric urged them not to pursue self-interest of “few unpopular elective office seekers”.

“We all should see these elections as a test of our desire to remain relevant as a voice in global politics and this depends greatly on the credibility of the polls,’’Alonze said.

His Muslim counterpart, Alhaji Moshood Owolabi-Oba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after his own prayer session that prosecution of electoral offenders should be given priority this time around.

Owolabi-Oba said electoral offenders are emboldened to commit more crimes where they escape punishment after committing such offences.

“It is important we ensure that the tendencies of so-called sponsors of electoral crimes do not escape being brought to book.

“The Nigeria Police and military personnel to be used during the elections should not compromise, and should ensure arrest of the thugs as well as their sponsors,’’ he said.

The representative of the Ifa Traditional Deity, Omobolaji Ifagbeyi, prayed that the various traditional gods of Nigeria should punish those that wish to scuttle the 2019 Elections.

“No more that the Almighty God, we all worship ultimately, to forgive them, but that they should taste the anger of our traditional gods for holding this nation to ransom just to grab political power,’’ he said.