Catholic Bishop urges Nigerians to vote credible leaders in 2027.

 

Bishop Gokum Michael of Pankshin Catholic Diocese of Plateau, has advised Nigerians to vote credible and capable candidates in the upcoming 2027 General elections. The bishop made the call at the launch of the 2026 Lenten Campaign of the diocese on Sunday in Pankshin.

The Bishop who said that the Nation was currently facing various challenges, said that electing credible leaders at all levels would resolve the issues. Gokum who advised Nigerians not to vote based on Religious, tribal or political affiliations, stated that only those with good vision would elevate the country out of its current challenges.

At the time of delivering his speech on Monday, the Bishop said that; “Our situation in Nigeria is not getting better, insecurity is worsening everyday, poverty rate is on the rise, people are dying of hunger, and our roads have become death traps. The challenges are enormous, and so it’s only people of good conscience and men of integrity that can address those challenges.”

“So therefore Nigerians must be wise in voting the right candidates in the Next election, we are not concerned about tribes, religion or political party, but those that will address the current challenges that we are in”. The bishop also advised Nigerians to pray and support leaders at all Levels. He also called on Nigerians that are eligible to get their voters card to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) to obtain their voters card in order to vote their preferred candidates in the elections. On the Lenten campaign launch, the bishop said that the diocese seized the opportunity to do some fund raising to support the poor and the less privileged ones in the society.

The bishop also said that; “The church, through its social arm, the justice development and peace commission (JDPC), has been supporting the less privileged and the poor ones in the society. As usual, today, we have come to do the fund raising that we will use in supporting humanity this year 2026. Christians, Muslims, and even pagans, not just Catholics, will benefit from the support that we are going to provide”. Gokum called on Christians to support the less privileged in their communities, saying that they are more blessings in doing so.

Rev Fr Basil Kassam, who is the Coordinator of Justice Development and Peace Commission JDPC in the diocese had earlier that day, assured the people that the funds raised would be put to good use. He also explained that the JDPC had constructed boreholes, supported crisis victims, supported rural farmers with inputs and provided interest-free loans to women, among others across the diocese.