Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, has knocked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over the outcome of February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Okogie said elections were supposed to be veritable link to strengthen democracy, lamenting that was a far cry from such ideals.
Despite his disapproval of the last election results, Okogie urged Nigerians to troop out Saturday to elect candidates of their choice.
He noted that majority of the people were afraid that people might not turn out because of militarization of the entire electoral process.
“Do not forget that each and every one of us has a free will and God will not even control your free will.
”If you want to steal another person’s thing, that voice of conscience will tell you don’t and if you overrule it and steal, then you will face the consequence from man and God. Nobody does that and think he will go with it.
“In the last election, a lot of people were killed, bloodshed; imagine these are not goats or cows but human blood.
”All because of power! Do they think that is just and people are still killing because I did not like you, because the land belongs to me, because of this, because of that,” Okogie maintained.
Reacting to the tension generated by results of the 2019 presidential elections, Okogie said: “To be candid, it is a very big shame to the outside world, Nigerians in the Diaspora in particular, that 58 years after political independence, we cannot conduct credible elections that will be acceptable to all.
“It’s the more shameful when certain people arrogate to themselves the ownership of the instruments of authority, thinking that they own Nigeria. Nobody owns Nigeria except God.
”One thing is certain, that our God is full of mercy and justice and He is a faithful God. No one can deceive Him and He is also a God of vengeance,” he warned. According to him, if any creature of God plays foul against his/her neighbour, God will wait for him or her with vengeance in His wings.
Warning Nigerians who speak from both sides of their mouth to be careful, Okogie said: “I am not a judge but from their approach, you will know them. The way people are speaking, only God can prove the truth and show positive on what is happening.
“Nobody can destroy Nigeria. Nobody can divide Nigeria. Whosoever you are and you are depriving Nigerians of their rights, the good Lord is there, arms akimbo and looking at all of us.
“Well, the God of justice that created the heaven and earth and all that is in it is watching. No man is an Island and no man can rule the whole world, if only they can remember that.
“On the Saturday election, Nigerians should learn, only that we don’t learn. One party said its going to court, others are saying it should not go for peace to reign in the country.
”A few others are saying the party should go and see what will happen. What is wrong with us? If you are a Muslim, you have the Quran there, you cannot translate Quran upside down just like what most Imams are doing just as you cannot translate the Bible the same way.
“If the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC had listen to me, the period I was president of CAN, that they have no right to touch anything spiritual. Look at the country littered with false prophets, people you cannot call Imams or pastors.”
Insisting that most religious leaders in the country, across the board, were business men who were prone to lies, Okogie said further: “We don’t learn and we are not ready to learn. Whatever happens, I believe and I believe in my God that Nigeria will turn to God’s own country. Those who do not want to hear the truth will hear it by force.
“Whatever you have; it’s only six feet, you cannot take anything from this world and that is the irony of it. These days they contest even your will in the court. Look at what is happening now: two parties went for the election, one said no he is not satisfied with the result, while the other said he won.
”But the good Lord is there watching all of us. And when you look at it properly, both of them are from the same place, you can see what God is doing. If your conscience says what you are doing is right, good but all these people will come and hit you take it or leave it.”
On his Lenten message, Okogie said: “We are all sinners. We are dust and unto dust we will all return. It is also to remind us that this body we are carrying, whether you put pancake it or not, you are just wasting your time.
“At this season, we must try and be sorry for our sins. We are all sinners, whether you think you are good or bad. Tell God that you are sorry, repent and then start a new life.”
