Catholic Bishop says Anambra governorship election must hold

The Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, Jonas-Benson Okoye, said on Saturday that the November 6 governorship election in Anambra must be held.

He said he took the position because the alternative would be to have a constitutional crisis in the state.

“Many are trying to frustrate preparations for the election. This is a sign that if we don’t vote, they will destroy us and our faith.

“We can’t get justice or freedom by sitting at home, the only thing to do to save the situation is to come out next Saturday with your Permanent Voter Cards to vote for the right candidate,” he said.

Mr Okoye made his views known when he spoke at the funeral Mass for A deceased member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Enugu-Ukwu in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.

He called on eligible members of the church and the people of Anambra to go out and cast their votes on Election Day.

The bishop said his message to further awaken the people on the need to ensure the governorship election takes place became necessary so as to avert the constitutional crisis that could follow the disruption of the exercise.

He admonished voters not to entertain fears, but to choose a candidate that would serve the people.

Mr Okoye described the deceased member, Julius Odinigwe, as a man who spent his life expanding the Christian faith.

He commiserated with his family and prayed to God for the eternal repose of his soul.

The priest, Chidi Ozumba, who delivered the sermon during the Mass, reminded the congregants of the inevitability of death for all mortals, and appealed to them to renew their relationship with God.

The late Odinigwe, who died at the age of 81, was a retired civil servant, a devout Catholic and a major contributor to the socio-economic development of his Enugu-Ukwu community.

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