Julius Abbe, the Primate of the African Church, has called on Nigerians to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime and the security agencies as they struggle to overcome the country’s worsening insecurity.

Mr Abbe, the 12th primate of the African Church, made the call during his primatial visit to the African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu, Lagos, on Sunday.

The cleric, who marked his one-year anniversary as the primate, urged Nigerians and religious leaders not to despair. He said they should pray more fervently to secure unity and peace for the nation.

“As we celebrate my one year on the throne as the primate of the church, I want the people of God to be more devoted to Him so we can overcome insecurity in the land.

“We should love one another and continue to pray for the government, the military, and other security agencies because we have no other nation that we can call our own.

“So, let us continue to do the needful that would keep us together as one people and for us to seek the welfare and wellbeing of one another in this country,” he said.

Also speaking, the Bishop of the Missionary Diocese, Hezekiah Adetoro, told journalists that the primate’s visit was special to the church because it coincided with the commemoration of his one year in office.

Mr Adetoro added, “Presently, we have few churches under this diocese, which is one of the prerequisites to becoming a full-fledged diocese.”

In his remarks, Mr Odofin Obayan, the church’s Vice Lay President, said the church planned to get elevated to a full-fledged diocese by February 2022.

Obayan said the primate’s visit was episcopal, adding that the visit was to check on how the church was doing in spiritual work.

“It is the first of its kind since his ascension as the primate, and we use this to publicise the church more and that we still exist as a united vineyard of God.

“Presently, the status of the church is a missionary diocese, and we are planning to expand the scope to a full-fledge diocese.

“This is because by the African Church constitution, to become a diocese, you must have at least three archdioceses. As of now, we only have two,” he said.

(NAN)