NIGERIA 2015: ‘It Won’t Be Business as Usual’

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The director of Civic and  Political Affairs of the  Diocese of Lagos Mainland of the Anglican Communion, Venerable Folarin  Shobo, has sounded a note of warning to politicians who are ridding roughshod on Lagosians, promising that it will not be business as usual in the next election in the state.

Shobo, in a statement,  said Lagosians cannot afford to continue with the present political arrangement whereby political officers and elected officials are largely people of a particular faith.

While noting that the present governor of the State has done well in improving on the infrastructure of the state, he said, “It is time for power to shift in the state. It is time for us to have people who will continue to rule with the fear of God and respect for the rule of law. There is a strong need for genuine internal democracy among the parties that will produce a credible candidate come 2015.”
According to him, the time has come for Christians in the state to show interest in partisan politics and not be intimidated by the status quo.

Shobo specifically advised that Christians who have a calling to go into politics should begin to prepare and get ready for the 2015 race because according to him power has to shift.

While explaining that getting political power is not a do or die affair, he said, “We just have to get to a point that we must stop dancing to a particular tune all our lives. It is not fair to have a government that is largely tilted  to favour people of a particular religion. Christians over the years have been magnanimous enough. We have worked for people who are not of our faith and we have supported them to be in government. It is now time for us to come out and take the bull by the horn.”

He said further that the battle for Lagos State will not come easy. “It will take patience, perseverance and strong will. It will take fasting and praying and it will take the readiness of men and women who have calling to go into politics. “

Shobo who was among those accredited to monitor and observe 2011 elections in the state  said the call for Christians to join the political bandwagon is not a call for mediocre people but a call for people with integrity who have a heart to serve. “We trust God and we are working assiduously to ensure that the next governor of Lagos State after Babatunde Raji Fashola is a person who is a Christian and who has a heart to serve.”

He argued in the two page statement that politics and religion go hand in hand. “There is no way you can divorce politics from religion.
They go hand in hand. A true Christian should realize that he has a divine obligation to render service. Politics is about rendering service.  It is about sacrifice. Anybody who cannot sacrifice should not think of going into politics” he said.

He then called on church leaders to begin to sensitize their members to take up the gauntlet and vie for political positions in the state.
“Asking for a Christian governor in Lagos State at this time is not out of place. It is long overdue and it is time we begin to do something about it.”

Shobo  described as unfortunate that of all the five people that are being tipped to take over the state from  Governor Raji Fashola that none is a Christian. “We are not going to be forceful but we are going to make our case and continue to mobilize our people to present themselves for service. The days of seeing politics as a dirty game are gone. If it is dirty, we should go into it and clean it up,” he added.

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