The gross abuse and destruction of the holiness of election processes in Nigeria concerns the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji. Ugorji expressed his thoughts while delivering the homily at a Pontifical Mass commemorating his pastoral visit to St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Owerri.
His remarks were these: “Many people, who, rightly or wrongly, found themselves in public offices, now think, behave and force their wills, including election results on the rest of us, as if nothing matters any more.”Bad government begins with election manipulation. Our country is currently dealing with a culture of widespread rigging in almost all of our elections. It not only distances citizens from the government, but it also tarnishes our business image in the global community.
It is regrettable to learn that, in all of Nigeria’s states, the ruling government chooses the chairman and council members for local governments regardless of what the electorate wants. The unsightly event happened in Anambra, Imo, and the other states in the nation that are purported to have had local government elections.
“We have to come to appreciate the purity and holiness of the election processes. Voters’ votes must be taken into consideration in every election if we are to bring Nigeria up to par. “If we consistently deny the people the opportunity to fulfil their civic responsibility to the best of their abilities, it will lead to yet another concerning development that will worsen the already poor reputation of the country.
“At the moment, the values of justice, equity, and fair play are rarely respected in our country. If our nation is to advance from its lamentable current position to better, brighter, safer, and economically prosperous years ahead, these parameters must be adhered to.
Archbishop Ugorji went on to say that it is still a marvel how Nigerians are making it through the difficult times facing their nation. “It is still a mystery that we are alive today, in Nigeria,” Ugorji remarked. Sadly, some who were unable to withstand the financial blow have passed away.
“The land is filled with unimaginable suffering. The nation’s highways are particularly unsafe, there is kidnapping, rising transportation costs, and soaring inflation.If things keep continuing in this direction, something unexpected could happen.
