Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the National President of the Apostolic Church, Nigeria, Apostle Sampson Igwe, has advised Nigerians not to allow themselves to be lured by politicians with food items like rice, stockfish and other material gifts.
Igwe stressed that Nigerians must look for people of integrity who are committed to render selfless service for the good and progress of the country, noting that politicians who lure voters with gifts always forget them when they get to power.
He made the assertion while addressing a media briefing this weekend at the Apostolic Church headquarters Auditorium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State as part of activities marking the presidential tour of the state territory.
His words, “Many times we have made mistakes to elect politicians who come with rice and stockfish, and when they give you Rice and stockfish, they won’t remember you again. I think we have to be careful.
“We need to look for leaders who are God-fearing, who will not come and lure you. But because of poverty, we are interested in the rice and stockfish that we eat for a day and in the remaining years, we will be suffering.
“In 2023 we should decide in our hearts to reject this stockfish and rice and look for men of integrity, men who fear God, and who are righteous. Can you imagine that we conducted an election in 2019, and what we hear now is 2023 and when 2023 passes, we shall be hearing about 2027? Is that what we come here to do?”
The cleric who decried the worsening insecurity in the country, however, expressed the hope that Nigerians would soon get over the challenge.
He called on Nigerians to be security conscious, adding, “Insecurity will end, but we have to play our own roles, we have to sit down as security men and women. Security men are not everywhere, neither are they gods; they act on Information that is given to them.
“Look at the situation where over 100 hoodlums will enter into a village and kidnap up to 300 students and carry them away and nobody sees them again”.