From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Rev. Yakubu Pam, has urged religious leaders and citizens of Plateau to embrace peace during and after the Oct.9 local government elections in the state.

Pam made the call while visiting various Christian denominational leaders in Jos yesterday.

He said it became paramount for him to go round and admonish church leaders to speak with their followers to conduct themselves peacefully during the polls.

Denominational leaders the executive secretary visited were the Catholic Archbishop of Jos, ECWA President, COCIN President, Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Anglican Archbishop of Jos, and Youth Groups.

“This courtesy call I embarked upon is very key and paramount because of the election we have on Saturday.

“The hearts of people have been beating because of the election and we have been hearing drumbeats of war, we will not want any bloodshed in Plateau again.

“Plateau has seen enough, we are still mourning, we don’t want precious lives to be lost.

“God has blessed all of you with the ability to calm nerves of the youths and trouble makers, we know that you have the voice as fathers to calm nerves,” he said.

Responding, the Arch Bishop of Jos, Most Rev. Matthew Audu, stated the need for government to work harder to create confidence and ensure that the Saturday polls ended without loss of lives.

Audu, however, appealed to the government to allow people to vote for their choice, rather than imposing candidates which he said could breed violent situations.

“I want to appeal to the government to allow people to make their choices not to appoint people, it will cause problems, if we go like this we will not move forward.

“Bring credible people from every party so that we will have good choices to choose from, why present people that the people have rejected?

“People will naturally stay at home and not vote, we urge our leaders at all levels to do the right thing, bad politics will not move us forward,” he said.

Similarly, the President Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Prof. Dachollom Datiri, encouraged citizens to go out and vote peacefully.

Datiri stated that nothing was gained in crisis; rather everyone was a loser, adding that the state would only fall into the hands of those who had ideological problems.

Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Plateau, Rev. Stephen Dangana, in a response, also said the government needed to take measures to ensure that the Saturday polls were crisis-free.

Dangana said they would work with government and all peace seeking organisations to pursue peace in line with Biblical injunction.