The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has endorsed the Electoral Act 2022 and demanded constitution review, urging Nigerians to participate fully in 2023 elections.

The outgoing president of CBCN, Augustine Akubeze, in a communiqué issued on Thursday said the decision was reached at the end of CBCN’s  first 2022 plenary meeting in Abuja.

The CBCN noted that politics was a noble vocation for the common good emphasisng that political office holders must provide good leadership.

“We equally affirm that political office holders have a fundamental role to play in providing good governance. We urge elected officials to build fraternity among all citizens irrespective of differences in creed, ethnic group, sex, and political opinion,” said the Catholic Church.

The bishops urged the federal government to quickly and permanently settle disputes in the interest of human and national growth.

“We observe a gross lack of job opportunities, equity, gender balance between male and female, good moral standards, an adequate justice system, transparency and accountability,” stated the church’s bishops.

They also called on governments at all levels to respect and protect people’s fundamental rights and shun ethno-religious favouritism.

“We encourage all citizens to participate in the forthcoming national population census exercise to help government have the data needed for proper policies that will aid development,” added the church.

The bishops said they must go “beyond sophistry and rhetoric and work toward a tradition of love that transcends the barriers of race and  nationality.”

They added that barriers of culture, ethnicity, religious or political affiliation and geographical distance must be shunned.

“We earnestly join millions of Catholics around the globe to pray for unity and peaceful dialogue between nations and communities, without which the deeply divided world cannot find the much-needed healing,” noted the communique. “We continue to pray especially for peace in Ukraine and Russia and other war-torn regions of the world.”

The bishops added, “We, therefore, call for fair and equitable treatment of all those displaced by this avoidable conflict, regardless of their origin, race and nationality. We thank the government for initiating processes towards reforming our national constitution handed down by the military government.”

The bishops also urged the legislature and the executive to give the nation an “adequate constitution that reflects our common aspiration to live in unity, justice, and peace.”

They commended “the efforts of the National Assembly, the president, and all who made it possible for our country to now have a reformed electoral law, the Electoral Act 2022.”

The bishops further stated, “We gladly welcome the adoption of modern technology to improve the quality of our electoral process and  encourage good and qualified people with the right intention to vie for political offices. We ask all eligible citizens to secure their voter’s cards and come out en masse to vote for those who can lead our people to a better life.”

The bishops also urged the electoral commission and other relevant bodies to organise and promote appropriate voter education.

(NAN)