A former Head of
State, Yakubu Gowon, has urged Nigerians to shun sentiments and vote
according to their conscience in the April general election.
Mr. Gowon made the
call in Bauchi on Sunday, while speaking at the North-East session of
“Nigeria Prays”, a movement devoted to praying for the nation.
“We are not saying
Christians should vote for Christians or Muslims should vote Muslims,
but that you should vote for someone who is good,” he said.
He also advised
Nigerians to tolerate one another irrespective of their religious,
ethnic and other differences in order to ensure the development of the
country.
Mr. Gowon, who is
the Convener and Chairman of “Nigeria Prays,” appealed to all Nigerians
irrespective of faith to assist in praying for peace and development in
the country.
“I cannot do it
alone. I need the support and prayers of every Nigerian so that at the
end, we will have a joint success and glory.
“We value you, and
I can tell you this, Nigeria Prays depends on you; it belongs to every
Christian denomination, and every faith,” he said.
In his message to
participants of the event, the Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, urged
Nigerians to shun violence and thuggery, saying that such anti-social
behaviours would not assist in the development of the country.
Mr. Yuguda,
represented by the Commissioner for Water Resources, Bukata Bukar,
commended Mr. Gowon for initiating and sustaining the prayer programme.
He said the programme had gone a long way in changing the minds of Nigerians.
“Prayers like this will make people change, especially those who don’t value the lives of human beings.
“They kill, plan
wars and fight in the name of religion or politics. We thank you for
your commitment to peace and unity of Nigeria,” he said.
The governor gave an assurance that the people of the state and the
government were committed to free and fair elections in April.
