Fides Media Living the Faith
…Vows to be More Visible in the Affairs of the State
By Jude Atupulazi
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, says the body has not endorsed any candidate from any political party ahead of the Anambra State governorship poll scheduled for November 6 this year. At a press briefing last Tuesday at the secretariat of the body in Awka, its chairman in Anambra State, Bishop Moses Ezedebego, said rather than endorsing any candidate at the moment, the body was praying for a peaceful conduct of the election and mobilizing its members to register and vote in a credible candidate.
‘Let no one deceive you. We have no special candidate but only mobilizing members to vote the right person. We have not endorsed any candidate for now,’ he insisted.
He hailed all the candidates that emerged from their various primaries but advised them to campaign without violence and to restrict themselves to issues; even as he also advised youths against violence.
Bishop Ezedebego said the state needed a governor that would carry everyone along and must be God fearing.
‘Anambra is very strategic in the Southeast so we need someone that will deliver after the current governor leaves office,’ he said, while urging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to be impartial by giving candidates equal and level playing ground. He enjoined voters to protect their votes.
The bishop equally advised against what he called blood money, warning that those planning to rig should desist from it.
He commended Gov Willie Obiano on what he described as his purposeful leadership, saying they were praying for him.
On the agitations all over the country, the PFN urged the Federal Government to tread with caution and toe the path of dialogue rather than bullying people.
The body, through Bishop Ezzedebego, advised the Federal Government to listen to issues and avoid suppressing people, noting that such accounted for the current problems in the country.
Meanwhile, in line with its resolve to assist in the emergence of the right candidate, the Anambra Chapter of the PFN announced the setting up of a Good Governance Committee, headed by Dr Amaechi Nwachukwu, to mobilize people for the election.
The committee, according to Bishop Ezedebego, is to, among other things, ensure good representation of their members in government and urged parties to cooperate with the committee.
PFN, an organised body of mega churches in the state, also said they remained the only body representing PFN and urged anyone who would like to deal with them not to approach any other group.
‘If you’re dealing with Pentecostal Fellowship, this is the only body to be dealt with. Be sure whom you deal with,’ the chairman said.
The body, which decried the lack of visibility of its members in the politics of the state, said it would henceforth be more involved in the affairs of the state, noting that PFN had a massive population which anyone who ignored them would live to rue. According to the PFN, the body had the biggest population in the state and was ready to make it count in the coming and subsequent elections in the state.
‘We have, among other things, the praying power. We urge parties to carry everyone along, the state chairman of PFN, Bishop Ezedebego, said.
He also disclosed that the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, in conjunction with PFN Network for Good Governance, would hold its annual PFN Day/Prayer Rally to showcase and strengthen the unity of the Church and to pray for the state ahead of the poll. He gave the date and venue of the rally as Friday, Sept 17, at Ekwueme Square, Awka, and urged all other religious groups to be part of the rally.