Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Most Rev Jude Arogundade, has called on Nigerians not to elect a person with corruption cases as president in the 2023 presidential election.
The cleric said many presidential aspirants in the country were not worthy of leading because of various corruption cases hanging on their necks, warning citizens to be careful in choosing their leaders.
The bishop stated this on Sunday while speaking at the 56th World Communications Day held at Sacred Heart Cathedral Church, Akure, Ondo State capital.
The celebration was themed, ‘Listening with the ear of the mind.’
According to the bishop, there is the need for citizens to vote for persons that will be presentable to the international community.
“We should vote for the people the international community would respect. The world is waiting for us to do the right thing, to elect those presentable to the world,” he said.
Arogundade also knocked the ruling All Progressives Congress for not being able to tackle the present challenges the country is facing in the recent time, stressing that Nigeria had no reason to be in its current state of a quagmire, given the abundance of intellectuals in the country.
He added, “APC has so much to answer for in this country for prosperity. We all belong to this country, workers were on strike, and the man in charge of labour wanted to contest the presidency. People are being kidnapped every day, and nothing has been done to address this.
“Somebody who had been indicted in the scandal that is international is being presented to be president. Are we all stupid? Can’t we wake up? It is getting to that time for confrontation. We will confront everything that comes to us with whatever power we have.
“No dignity, no sense of humanity in this country, and we present them to represent us. They cannot even stand on their grounds; no confidence. How will the world take you seriously? This is the opportunity to confront them. Yes, I don’t mince words, this country has the best of minds, and I have had the opportunity to study in this country and other parts of the world.”
The cleric added, “Nigerians are very intelligent, hardworking, and refined. But why do we allow those that are not presentable to govern us in this country? When you present the worst, how will you be proud of them? How will you present those who cannot even manage their home and personal affairs to come and manage this country?
“Those who have a history of stealing, killing, and others and want to make the president, you give them a blank cheque to turn everybody to enslaved people. How can somebody that we all handed over our sovereignty be looking for people to sell our lands to, and even his spokesman came out to threaten everyone?”
