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Christian Leaders in Nigeria Announce One-day Prayer for Peaceful Elections in 2023

A poster announcing the November 4 Prayer Day. Credit: CAN

Christian leaders in Nigeria have announced a day of national prayer to “seek divine intervention in the affairs of the country” ahead of general elections in the West African nation scheduled for February 2023.

In a Wednesday, November 2 statement, officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) say the one-day prayer initiative that is scheduled for Friday, November 4 is to be held simultaneously by all denominations.

“The national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has declared Friday, November 4th, 2022 as National Day of Prayers to seek divine intervention in the affairs of the country,” CAN officials say.

They add, “It is also going to be a day to implore God’s help in preventing violence, manipulation, intimidation of voters and other electoral crimes in the forthcoming elections.”

The Christian leaders who include representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) consider the Prayer Day “an imperative in view of the fact that our nation is passing through very challenging times at the moment, despite its abundant natural, human, and material resources.”

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“Nigeria is a vibrant and virile land that is full of color, wealth and all that it would take to be one of the greatest nations on earth,” CAN officials say, and add, “Sadly, the country has not yet reached where it should be at the moment due to some inherent problems.”

CAN officials further invite “all Christian groups or organizations, stakeholders and Christian politicians, especially those vying for offices to participate in the program.”

“All bloc chairmen, zonal chairmen, states and local chairmen, and all church leaders, are to mobilize their members nationwide for the program,” they add.

The Christian leaders further say, “Participants are to assemble at the National Christian Centre in Abuja for the prayer retreat by 10:00am prompt on Friday this week.”

They urge “all and sundry to join the solemn assembly in order to usher the country into a new era of peace, unity, safety and all-round prosperity.”

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“May God use the program to address the spiritual dimensions of the challenges plaguing the nation and frustrate every evil plan against the unity of the people,” CAN officials implore in their November 2 collective statement.

On September 28, the 18 candidates vying for Presidency in Nigeria launched their nationwide campaigns ahead of the 25 February 2023 general elections that will see the electorate in Africa’s most populous nation also vote for members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar, and former Vice President and Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, are among candidates vying for the Presidency.

The election of State Governors in the West African nation has been slated for 11 March 2023.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.