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we do not make conscious effort to contribute that of the presidency. The highest bidder in
towards nation building. I believe that if we terms of monetary or financial inducement
can do so, there would be effective positive actually ended up becoming our president. If
changes. somebody successfully buys his way to a
leadership position without merit, how do you
Gadfly: Thank you, my Lord. Considering the expect such a person to change overnight?
excessive and unchecked display of power Certainly, he would hardly feel accountable to
and authority by leaders in Nigeria Your the people.
Excellency, do you think that Nigerians are
in any way responsible for encouraging On our part as electorates, if we do not stand to
these excesses either by commission or protect our votes and insist that the right
omission? If yes, what do you suggest thing be done, then whatever the leaders do
should be the way forward? to us afterwards, should not be contested. As a
matter of fact, at this level, we should have
Bishop: Well, although I would not like to become so conscious of our rights as citizens
sound so philosophical in trying to respond to that we should never allow the politicians to
this question but the fact remains that take us for granted. The politicians are taking
democracy itself as a concept is supposed to us for granted because it seems that we are
be a government by representation. That is, it not even aware of our rights: the right to vote
is a government that comes to be through and the right to hold our representatives
election, where people are elected to accountable in the way in which they exercise
effectively represent and at the same time leadership and power over us, especially when
articulate the interests of those who have it has to do with the economy and with our
INTERVIEW
voted them into office. As a consequence
commonwealth.
therefore, power actually belongs to the
people because if they are the ones doing the
Gadfly: Thank you. In another perspective,
voting, it means they have the authority to
the imbalance between religion and reason
in Nigeria is a major cause of the nation's
determine those who should govern them.
dilemma. This is because many Nigerians,
The challenge we are have in our country
however is that the electoral process itself is
either as groups or individuals, are oblivious
flawed; the rules are made but never kept.
of what it means to be religious and
reasonable at the same time. My Lord, what
Look at the way Nigerians turned up during
the last election in 2023 to cast their votes in
can you say about this disturbing truth?
order to decide who should go and represent
them at the various levels of government.
most religious people in the whole world
Unfortunately, what we witnessed was a far
because in almost all of the
cry from the ideal as all the Bishop: Nigerians are known to be one of the
fi g u re s we re tw i s te d a n d villages and townships, you will
manipulated in favour of the find a good number of Churches
highest bidder. That is why we and Mosques all around. In fact,
are where we are today, and the proliferation of Mosques and
realistically, what do you expect Churches is really quite alarming
from someone who was not in Nigeria. We often give the
properly elected? Do you think world the impression that we are
h e w i l l o w n u p t o t h e a deeply religious people but
responsibility of providing good when it comes to the question of
governance to the people who upholding our religious tenets,
did not stand by him during the values and inclinations, we are
elections? Let us for a moment often found wanting. It is quite
cast our minds back to disappointing that we are
the level of vote buying n o t a l l o w i n g o u r
and selling which religious beliefs and
p e r v a d e d t h e p r a c t i c e s t o
entire electoral positively impact
process during on the political,
t h e l a s t economic and
e l e c t i o n , social space.
e s p e c i a l l y This means
that we are
