Vote Out Bad Leaders in 2023, Jerry Gana Tells Nigerians

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

Former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana has said Nigerians should be prepared to sack leaders and non-performing political parties in the 2023 general elections.

According to him, rather than wallow in regret, frustration and lamentations, the citizens should wait for the appropriate time at the next general elections to punish leaders who had failed to deliver on their promises.

Gana said this during an interview with journalists shortly after commissioning the newly built All Saints Anglican Church in Zone 5, Wuse Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Sunday.

Commenting on the rising spate of insecurity as well as hardship in the land, Gana said Nigerians should see it, “as government failing to deliver on promises made to them especially on the issue of security.”

He added: “The security situation is certainly something of profound worry but the people should see it as the beauty of democracy. They should see it that what this government promised to deliver, especially on the issue of security, they have failed to deliver.

“Therefore, they should wait for the next election and not to get frustrated because elections are ways of rejuvenating the system and putting new people into power so that they will do the kind things they want,” he said.

Against the background of the clamour for a credible and transparent electoral system, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, said the church must brace up to support the emergence of good leader in 2023.

He said the people should not be discouraged but that they should always insist on free and fair elections.

According to him, the church and the people must resist any attempt by the government to intervene or alter the rules of the game.

He said: “The peoples’ will must prevail so that if the people feel disappointed, they should express it in an election and reject bad people and put good people into office so that peace, security and good governance moving forward.

“That is the beauty of democracy. We should punish those who have failed using the election.

“The most powerful way the church can prepare the nation for the 2023 general elections is to prepare the people. The church can transform the lives of the people by preaching the word of God so that they will be transformed within. Secondly, by teaching them how to become good citizens”.

Gana also said the church should help raise a society that is governed by righteousness, good character and obedience to the laws.

In addition, he said the church should always insist on keeping to the rules of the game.

“We must insist that things are done in an orderly manner. There shouldn’t be as it were an intervention in the rules of the game. There must be proper rule and procedure. Things must done properly, so that elections will be orderly and peaceful and the peoples’ choice must be respected.

“Finally, the church must endorse, through prayer, very good candidate because only good leaders can move the nation forward. The church must not allow itself to be led, the church must be leading through prayer, through preaching and through Godly intervention. The church must show the light so that people will see the way.

“So they should not be discouraged, we are moving on and we hope we to keep going and we will insist that election should not rigged,” he said.