The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has called on Christian leaders to embrace strategic involvement in governance and politics to produce credible leaders for the nation’s development.

The national director of the Directorate of Public Governance (DPG), Femi Emmanuel, at the Oyo State Political Summit held in Ibadan on Monday, underscored the importance of strategic involvement of the church in governance.

Mr Emmanuel noted that the hurch was not to be partisan but rather to put structures in place for producing stakeholders who would be delegates toward electing candidates for various elective positions in Nigeria.

According to him, prayers without actions are like an arrow shot with no focus or destination.

The cleric said that the cooperation and collaboration of all church leadership would give the church a common front that could influence governance positively.

He said, “The church needs strategic planning to influence the 351 wards and 33 local government areas in Oyo State.

“The church will have a representative of the PFN’s DPG called a Church Officer-in-Politics who will register all the adults of a particular church and train them,” he said.

Mr Emmanuel noted that politics in Nigeria was embedded in the grassroots at the ward levels, saying that strategic planning from that level would help the church build political structures that could deliver good governance.

“Politics is about structure and platform,” he said.

The cleric added that this would bring an end to “stomach infrastructure politicking” and the rule of a few in governance.

Mr Emmanuel, a former deputy speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, stressed that the PFN DPG would not support any political party or candidate but would rather raise delegates who would influence would-be candidates for elective positions in Nigeria.

The Oyo State chairman of PFN, Samson Ajetomobi, said that next to God’s power was political power, urging church leaders not to confront the government for whatever reason.

He said the unity of the church should be such that it influenced the world for God and not vice versa, adding that the church should be active in politics and governance.

Citing scriptures from the Holy Bible, Mr Ajetomobi highlighted Isaiah 9:6, saying that leadership positions were for the mature.

“Leadership transitions from a child to a son; you don’t give leadership to a child but a son. The church is designed by God to run the government of the world and of the church.

“When we stay away from the running of the world, then we have done a disservice to ourselves.

“Daniel influenced four kings and politics in his time,” Mr Ajetomobi said. 

(NAN)