Fides Media Living the Faith
– Anglican Archbishop, Ibezim
By Ikeugonna Eleke
The Archbishop, Province of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Alexander Ibezim, has said that the recent unveiling of a Muslim running mate by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to another Muslim amounts to persecuting Christians.
Ibezim decried what he termed the seeming plan to alienate Christians from the affairs of Nigeria while speaking to journalists in a press conference to mark the commencement of activities marking his 60th birthday.
Speaking in Awka on Tuesday, Archbishop Ibezim said it was unacceptable to run an all-Muslim ticket in a secular state like Nigeria and noted that the decision amounted to persecuting Christians in Nigeria.
‘Whether you like it or not, no one must play with Christians. It is for the interest of Nigeria if Christianity succeeds. We have undergone a lot of persecution and they want to persecute us again in present day Nigeria.
‘We are not second class citizens in Nigeria. For us to be holistic, for us to be truthful to ourselves, we must not play with Christianity. Muslim-Muslim ticket is unacceptable, and that is how I see it,’ Archbishop Ibezim said.
Speaking about the controversy surrounding the attendance of some unidentified bishops to the unveiling of the APC vice presidential candidate, Ibezim said the proliferation of churches had made it easy for people to establish their own churches and crown themselves bishops.
‘Proliferation entered into the Church and that is why people can dress how they like. People now call and address themselves as bishops.
‘If they claim to be bishops, let it be that God has sent them. That is my advice to them. No one can deceive the Church of God.
‘What they did is satanic and capable of destroying those people. They say money can buy anything, and people take the money and claim anything.
‘I wish those who put on the garments of bishops will actually do the work of bishops. A bishop is a soul winner and that is what they are expected to do. We will be happy if they are bishops and are also doing the work of bishops which is soul-winning,’ Archbishop Ibezim said.