Bishop accuses Anambra religious leaders of deceiving voters
The Anglican Bishop of Ihiala Diocese in Anambra State, Prof Israel Okoye, has accused religious leaders in the state of ‘poisoning’ the minds of their members during elections.
He warned them against such acts in the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State.
Okoye gave the warning yesterday while speaking at St. Mark’s Church, Umudara, Ihiala, in his presidential charge to mark the first session of the 4th Synod of the diocese.
According to the bishop, exploitation of religion for political gain should be decried.
“We passionately urge church leaders in all churches to be sincerely godly in dealing with those who contest elective and other offices. We cannot afford to be preachers of the word of God while poisoning the minds of people who aspire to govern the state with teachings that are fundamentally unbiblical and inimical to our collective wellbeing.
We should rather sincerely do all we can to free the minds of politicians and others from all sorts of parochial fixations that estrange them from God and also make them instruments in the service of the kingdom of darkness. We must be mindful of the fact that on the Day of Judgment before God, it would be too late to remind us that ‘God is no respecter of persons,’” the cleric said.
Describing Anambra as a state endowed with illustrious individuals, Okoye called for intensive prayers for a peaceful and credible poll in 2021.
