Kukah urges Nigerians to not be ‘undecided’ about who rules them
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, has urged Nigerians to not be ‘undecided’ about who to vote for President and other offices in this year’s ballot because the situation is critical.
He said regardless of the failings of the current and previous administrations, the electorate must turn out to decide who rules them in the next four years.
He warned on Channels Television no Nigerian facing insecurity, joblessness, hunger, among myriads of problems should be ‘undecided’.
“Why will anybody be undecided about hunger, why will anybody be undecided about insecurity, why anybody be undecided about the fact that they don’t seem to know where the next meal will come from, why will anybody be undecided over the fact that there are no jobs”, Kukah argued.
He reiterated his criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari is not personal but borne out of the need to help the country overcome challenges and called for vigorous efforts to change the narrative of voter apathy.
He advised voters to look beyond the fanfare of political campaigns and vote candidates they know have what it takes to fix Nigeria.
There is nothing like a right choice in the election of leaders, he stressed, because there is bound to be a shift between campaign promises and real governance.
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Holding leaders accountable
Kukah urged civil society, religious bodies, and others to engage leaders once they are voted into power, blaming some problems on the absence of political culture and disregard for the Constitution, per reporting by ThisDay.
“The kind of discipline required to build political culture does not exist in Nigeria.
“If the Constitution is the supreme law can you slaughter somebody because he or she has offended your culture or offended your religion and get away with it? It is not possible.”
He lamented that in most parts of the country there is hardly government presence, which causes voter apathy, as no voter would be willing to die when there are no consequences for murderers.
Kukah blamed nepotism and failed leadership for the increase of banditry, saying violence is encouraged when a political system rewards people directly.
He said Buhari has just a few months left in office and urged Nigerians to take the election seriously because “it takes more than good intentions” to lift the country to where it ought to be.
In his view, the political elite do not appreciate the complexity of the Nigerian situation and so cannot proffer any meaningful solution.
Kukah described as insulting situations where politicians point to bridges and roads as part of the dividends of democracy delivered to the people.
He said politicians making promises and those who follow them know there are no intentions to fulfill such promises, but there will be a little bit of excitement to see that some people have what it takes to fix Nigeria.
