***change its perception as a dirty game
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo has urged Christians to be guided by the church to play exemplary role in political processes so that politics would not be perceived as a dirty game.
Adebayo spoke on Tuesday, at St. Matthias House Abuja, in his speech as a guest speaker at the opening ceremony of The Church of Nigeria Standing Committee, in lieu of the next general election in 2023.
He said it is important to use participation in politics to raise men who will represent the church in governance, by doing things the right way adding that by so doing politics would not be seen to be unseemly, unholy, unclean but rather dependent on the value they bring into it.
He noted that if the church is well represented in institutions in the country, the value of the church will be reflected and things will be done rightly.
“Anywhere, we find representatives of the Church, whether they’re serving in INEC, the value of the Church should be reflected. At the end of the day, when the devil is tempting them with twenty thousand Naira, ten thousand Naira, they are already trained to wrestle with the devil. The value of the Church will be reflected.
“If the value of the Church is reflected, people even those who are not of our faith because of the tribulation they are going through, would say that someone from our side should mount the saddle.”
He further advised that it is important that Christians participate in politics because Christ instructed that what belongs to Caesar should be given to Caesar.
He said, “The election is a circular exercise for the country but for us in the church, everything we do is spiritual because just like Jacob, he wrestled with the angel of God before he could find his destiny. For this generation, we have been equipped with the new testament to wrestle with the devil in everything that we do”.
“The Church has laid a good foundation in participating in institutions; that’s why the church founded schools so that Christian values will be expressed to youth through the school system.”
Members of Prince Adebayo’s entourage included Sen. Ugochukwu Uba, Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, Chief Godwin Osigbeme, Pastor Ade Alabi and Comrade Olarewaju Osho.
Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour party was also present at the ceremony.