By Gbenga Akinfenwa
The World Baptist Alliance (WBA), All Africa Baptist Fellowship, and Nigeria Baptist Convention have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fulfill the pledge to Nigerians, and the international community to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.
They made the call at the end of a two-day special meeting at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State.
The church expressed grave concern about the high level of insecurity bedeviling the country a few weeks before the elections, as well as the harsh effects of scarcity and unaffordable prices of petroleum products, which has impeded mobility.
They tasked the Police and other security personnel to play their roles during the election without bias.
Among the world and African leaders of the church at the gathering were the Executive General Secretary of the US-based WBA, Revd (Dr) Elijah Brown; President of All Africa Baptist Fellowship (ABF), Revd (Dr) Israel Adelani Akanji, who also doubled as President, Nigeria Baptist Convention; Revd. Elias Apetogbo, a Togolese, General Secretary of ABF; a former Chairman, Nigeria Baptist Convention, Dr. Michael Adeoye Abodunrin; the first female Chairman, Nigeria Civil Service Commission and now Pro-Chancellor Bowen University, Deaconess Joan Olatoyosi Ayo, and Vice-Chancellor, Bowen University, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, among others.
The delegation was received at the Ibadan end of the road leading to Iwo by Senator Adelere Adeyemi Oriolowo, representing Osun West Senatorial District, from where they paid a courtesy visit to the Palace of Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanni, the Oluwo of Iwo Kingdom, in his palace.
The delegation, however, admonished Nigerian electorates not to surrender to any hurdle that may be put in their way, but should demonstrate strong courage and determination to ward them off to exercise their voting obligation.
The team charged Christians in particular and people of other faith to vote their conscience in all the elections, reminding them that irrespective of their religious differences, they have a common stake in a peaceful, united, secured, and developed Nigeria.
The Kabiyesi assisted by his chiefs, who turned out in large numbers, received Brown and his delegation, praising the Baptist for bringing education to his kingdom as far back as 1930, adding that the church had continued to build on it as evident by locating Bowen University in Iwo.
He further said that Baptist has helped to raise the bar of development and civilisation in his kingdom.
Specifically, Brown urged African leaders including traditional rulers to rise up to the challenges confronting the continent as in the next decade; Africa’s population will hit the one billion mark.
He called for an in-depth interrogation of how the continent was deploying its present resources with a view to preparing the present generation of children educationally for the demand of a one billion population in the decade ahead.
The delegation also visited Ijaiye-Orile, where the late Revd. Jefferson Bowen, who pioneered Baptist Church in Nigeria, was buried with his wife.
Source: The Guardian
