General News
2023 Elections: No U-turn on BVAS, Buhari’s position stands —Presidency
The Presidency has said President Muhammadu Buhari would stand by the deployment of the Bimodal Voters’ Accreditation System, BVAS, for credible, fair and transparent elections in 2023.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, disclosed this while delivering his goodwill message at the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Media, Civil Society and Violence-Free Election in Nigeria.”
Adesina was reacting to the recent alarm raised by some civil society organisations, CSOs, and spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, Ikenga Ugochinyere, about plans by some political actors to remove the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, through the National Assembly and also deactivate BVAS from being used in the 2023 election and ultimately stop electronic transmission of results.
He said: “How many times has the President spoken about the role of technology in getting him into office? He has spoken about it locally and internationally that three times he contested and three times he ended up in the Supreme Court because the government of the day wrote the results and they never voted.
“He (Buhari) said until technology came and there was a permanent voter card, it was difficult to write results. So, how can the same person now have issues with BVAS?”
Adesina, however, told the media to trumpet Buhari’s assurance of a free, fair, and credible election and ignore those out to cause confusion in the 2023 general election.
In his remarks, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said Buhari’s government was committed to ending undemocratic and uncultured activities in the country.
He reiterated his call on those still involved in the electioneering process to appreciate the fact that political activities would be observed by the provisions of the Electoral Law.
“It is important to note that recent developments in Nigeria have proved that the Federal Government has laudable initiatives to end impunity for crimes against Nigerian citizens.
“The Committee to Protect Journalists’ report says Nigeria was the only country to get off the index of nations with impunity for crimes against journalists in 2020,” Malami said.
The special guest of honour and governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, who was represented by the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Lawan Abdullahi, said “the peaceful outcome of the 2023 general election lies in the hands of the media.”
The Chairman of INEC, who was also represented by a National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, said: “We should remember that regardless of our profession, religion, or ethnicity, we are all the country’s stakeholders of peace and progress.
General News
Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else
At a solemn ordination service in Abuja, senior church leaders have called on pastors to make the well-being of their congregations a top priority, following the example of Jesus Christ.
Speaking during the priesthood ordination and installation of a Sub Dean at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the retired Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Okene, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, described pastors as shepherds charged with the care of their flock. He urged them to shun worldly distractions and focus on meeting the spiritual and material needs of their members.
Bishop Ajulo also encouraged the newly ordained priests to remain faithful to their calling by teaching God’s word without compromise.
In his charge, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, urged the new clergy to preach the undiluted gospel and foster religious harmony wherever they serve. He expressed confidence that their new roles would help promote peace and unity in society.
The service also featured prayers for national leaders and divine intervention in addressing the current global economic challenges.
General News
1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance
In a dramatic show of faith and patriotism, over 1,000 fiery prayer warriors from across Nigeria will descend on Ilorin, Kwara State, this Saturday, lifting their voices in intense intercession for President Bola Tinubu’s success and Nigeria’s survival in the face of biting economic woes and mounting insecurity.
The spiritual siege, themed “Walking in Domini”, is the maiden convention of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), with its Kwara State Chairman, Evangelist Thomas Adeboye, vowing that “heaven will hear and respond to Nigeria’s cry.”
Aside from marathon prayers, the gathering will roll out free medical outreach to locals across Kwara’s LGAs, a gesture aimed at touching both body and soul.
Adeboye, lamenting Nigeria’s “troubling economic and security realities”, called for a nationwide prayer uprising, insisting that Tinubu has shown the will to revive the nation but needs massive divine backing to succeed.
“Banditry, a collapsing economy, and political tension demand we seek God’s face like never before,” he declared. “We will storm heaven for wisdom for the President and governors to steer Nigeria to safety.”
The convention will also feature awards to distinguished personalities, soul-lifting worship, fiery sermons, and unity-driven lectures—all capped with thunderous prayers for Nigeria’s redemption.
Adeboye urged the President to ensure every policy has “a human face,” stressing that Nigerians must not only endure but also enjoy the fruits of governance.
With the OAIC promising to reaffirm believers’ authority in Christ and rally spiritual boldness in the face of national challenges, Ilorin is set to become the epicentre of a powerful spiritual warfare for Nigeria’s destiny.
General News
Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift
…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.
In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.
The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.
