Christian Onyia, the bishop of Nike Anglican Diocese in Enugu State, has decried the direct involvement of traditional and religious leaders in politics during the just concluded general elections.

“It is despicable and condemnable,” he said while presenting the bishop charge at the second session of the sixth synod of the diocese, held at the Church of the Beatitudes, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, on Saturday.

He added, “Some church leaders turned the pulpit as a place to campaign for political parties and their preferred candidates.”

Mr Onyia also berated traditional rulers for publicly supporting political candidates.

“In some other places, traditional rulers who are known supporters of the ruling party imposed midnight curfews to perform ‘Oro’ rights, slaughtered animals and strategically placed the sacrifices at voting centres to scare voters.”

Although the cleric did not categorically name a traditional leader, the ruler of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom, Saheed Ademola (Kusenla III), declared a three-day Oro rite from midnight to 5:30 a.m. before the Lagos State governorship and assembly election day.

Mr Onyia urged the judiciary to save its image in dispensing justice in election petitions brought before it.

According to him, politicians, by their actions, have portrayed the judiciary as incapable of dispensing justice, as they engage in electoral infractions and tell aggrieved persons to “go to court”.

“I encourage the judiciary to rise to the occasion and redeem its battered image by dispensing justice without fear or favour.

“This will not only boost the confidence of voters and Nigerians in our judiciary and electoral process but also increase the turnout rate in the next elections,” the bishop said.

Mr Onyia also advised INEC to embark on a voter register audit, even as it prosecutes election offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.

The bishop said that this was important because the 2023 elections did not wholly meet the expectations of Nigerians.

He said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must address issues of low voter turnout, violence, and delay in the delivery of election materials and transmission of results, among others, in subsequent elections.

“To all the candidates who lost the elections or were rigged out, kindly pursue your cases through the legal process.

“Do not encourage or participate in violence or any other illegal act,” he added.

(NAN)