By Ralph Madugu
The imperative of political unity among Christians in Nigeria recently dominated discussions at a conference held in Lagos, organized by the National Consensus Movement (NCM) during which participants agreed that to check what it termed “the impunity and lawlessness of the jihadists” in the country, Nigerians, especially Christians, must organize to provide Godly leadership for the Common Good of all by forging a political unity to promote democracy and good governance in line with Isaiah 9: 6: “government shall be upon his shoulder.”
The NCM, which is a body of concerned Christians and Nigerians, in a 10-point resolution reached at the end of the conference with the theme, “Ending National Distress: The Imperative of Christian Political Unity,” said the goal of the movement was to build Christian political unity as prerequisite towards restoring balance and order in the polity.
In its resolutions signed by the Conference Chairman, Rev. Matthew Owojaiye and nine others, they acknowledged that Nigeria is currently playing “politics of religion” that had resulted in the “latitude and audacity of jihadists” who unleash a reign of terror and destruction on the entire country.
It added, “The Conference resolved that if the impunity and lawlessness of the jihadists is to be checked, the Christian community should forge political unity to promote democracy and good governance.”
The NCM affirmed that it shall support and cooperate with church groups and denominational leaders desirous of uniting and mobilizing Christians to forge Christian political unity but regretted that, due to political disunity in the Church, Christians always become a minority during elections.
It maintained that it does not have any preferred political candidate nor adopted any political party, stating that the goal of the Movement is to encourage Christian political consensus.
While calling on Nigerians to support “new Political candidates that are untainted by the flagrant corruption and ineptitude that characterize the current political class”, the NCM stressed that the country requires new leaders, new methods, new people, and new strategies.
“The slogan of NCM is *THINK NEW*. The Movement calls on Nigerians to support new Political candidates that are untainted by the flagrant corruption and ineptitude that characterize the current political class. Nigeria requires NEW leaders, NEW methods, NEW people, and NEW strategies. *THINK NEW*.”
While decrying speculations that there may be “subterranean attempts to utilize judicial channels to scuttle Presidential election in 2023,” the Conference called on Church leaders “to prepare to resist any attempt to transfer power through the Court and not through the ballot box.”
NCM reiterated that while it is in support of elections in 2023, it affirmed that no election should henceforth be conducted under the 1999 Constitution.
While calling on Christian leaders and church groups to support the demand for a new Constitution, the confab mandated NCM to write a letter to Nigeria’s Church leaders to encourage them to participate in building Christian political unity.
It congratulated the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) for establishing the Directorate of Politics and Governance likewise the Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN) and urged all Christian not to shy away from politics because it is the channel of providing leadership for the country.