Edo 2016: Aspirant urges Christian leaders to pray for good governance

Chief Solomon Edebiri, a PDP governorship aspirant in the Sept. 10 governorship election in Edo, on Sunday called on Christian leaders to be involved in the process of promoting good governance.

Edebiri, who made the call at a forum organised by the State Apostolic Network for Christian Leaders in Benin, urged Christians and their leaders to pray for a peaceful electoral process.

The aspirant, who argued that Christians should not be docile, said “the only time to disobey government as Christians is when they do what is not scriptural.’’

When government is doing wrong, what do you as Christians do, fold your hands? No, we need men and women of God who will speak the truth when it is required.

We need men and women of God who can at all time stand on the path of truth and should not tolerate evil, otherwise, we as a people will never get it right,’’ he said.

Already, as we prepare for the party primaries and the election proper, I hear people are preaching war.

But the greatest task for great men and women of God is for them to begin to pray that in this 2016 governorship election, no aspirant or candidate should emerge on the blood of children of this land to government house.
I hear people say it’s a do or die affair. I hear them say that gentleman no dey. That it’s okporoko for okporoko, axe for axe and dagger for dagger.

But I do not wish for any of these. It is the responsibility of the church not just to pray but to also get involved in the electoral process by voting for a better candidate.

Prayer does two things: It either opens doors or it closes doors. Let’s therefore pray to God to close doors to evildoers and evil thinkers and open doors of peace.

It depends on what we ask of God. This land has experienced evil but the Bible makes us to understand that Christians can play key roles in whoever governs the state.

As mothers, you must stop your children from being used as political criminals, you must bring them into the house and preach to them on the need to enthrone a good government that will guarantee them jobs.

When they become employed, they will plan no evil. We must pray against conspiracy, betrayal and blackmail.

The benefit of good government is development everywhere in the land. I don’t want to lie and make false promises. I don’t want to be told and reminded that I have a good heart.

But I earnestly urge you to pray for God to favour me in the primaries and the main election for the state to experience the much needed all round development with the abundant natural and human resources,’’ he said.