Statement By The

NATIONAL PRAYER ALTAR

On

THE STATE OF NIGERIA

Sunday 25^th June 2023

PREAMBLE 

The National Prayer Altar is a daily trans-denominational prayer initiative of Christians from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, Christians in the diaspora, as well as nationals of other countries. The Prayer Altar started on 18th April 2022 and has sustained its daily online prayers to date, with participation in the hundreds. 

As a cooperation of praying people, the National Prayer Altar is interested in developments both in the Church as well as in the larger society. In compliance with the Scripture that “faith without works is dead,” the National Prayer Altar is committed to intercession as well as to practical national interventions. Accordingly, the Altar candidly addresses the following concerns: 

THE CHURCH 

The current worrisome state of the Nigeria Church is an indictment on its leadership. Unfortunately, there is little apparent collaboration among the tiers and members of that leadership to robustly confront the moral and spiritual chaos that confronts the Church. Unhealthy individualism and ensuing rivalries have fostered competition rather than cooperation among Christians and their leaders, stressing the point that the problem of the Nigeria Church remains a leadership problem. Sadly, a divided house cannot stand.  

In the circumstances, we wish to advocate an urgent Christian leadership summit not restricted to officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) but open to all notable Christian leaders across the five Church groups in Nigeria (2 Chron. 7:14). A Nineveh-like solemn assembly would be a good starting point. 

THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN) 

The National Prayer Altar and many well-meaning Nigerians have lately been distressed with certain developments connecting some apex Christian leadership offices in the country; a negative posturing of the Church that started in the recent past and appears insistent on continuing in the present. The Prayer Altar prays that the current President of CAN would early establish his own standards of Christian leadership, to forestall regrettable crashes into infamy. While this President’s commitment to righteousness cannot be disputed, an early break with the mistakes of the past is crucial. 

It is disturbing that Christian leaders who have appeared helpless and speechless in the face of the ongoing massacre of Christian communities in Nigeria would be so prompt to endorse and support the killers of their brothers and sisters. It is sad that CAN would write a letter of congratulation to a government whose legitimacy is still in contention at the courts. It seems to announce, sadly, that CAN supports the Muslim-Muslim ticket which it had all the while appeared to vehemently oppose. It is worrisome irony smacking of hypocrisy. It is sub judice, not righteousness, to so take sides, especially as election results are not only being challenged but the conduct of the election itself has been globally condemned for its many apparent constitutional violations.  

While CAN might have been comparatively modest in its congratulations, the national leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) appears to have thrown caution to the winds in effusively pronouncing blessings on a flawed process and its objectionable product. We hope that the appropriate organs of the PFN will redeem the image of that respectable Fellowship by calling an inquiry into how and who had authorized the letter and the worrisome congratulatory benedictions pronounced upon persons of publicly disputed legitimacy. Meanwhile, let it be on record that, to the extent that the generality of the Church and its leadership were not consulted before those public statements were made, and since those masses have continued to express their discontent at the ecclesiastical leadership overstep, the congratulations remain the tolerable political correctness of those that sent them. Their messages do not represent the voice of the people and are not binding on the Church in Nigeria. 

JUDICIARY 

While the world watches on as the current electoral cases go on at the Tribunal, let it be known that it is the judiciary that is on trial this time, not so much the elections, for Nigerians across political and other divides know the truth. In the weeks to come, Nigerians shall pronounce their verdict on the judiciary, whether guilty or not guilty. 

THE MANIPULATION OF ETHNIC SENTIMENTS 

We are concerned about the obvious manipulation of ethnic sentiments for political advantage in the country. This social virus is deliberately being resuscitated by self-seeking individuals to the detriment of unity and peace of Nigeria. The candidacy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a Yoruba agenda, neither is the candidacy of Mr. Peter Obi an Igbo agenda. The attempt to manipulate an impression that the Yoruba people entirely support Asiwaju Tinubu as their “own” is a mischievous political game. During the presidential election, the Yorubas, like most other Nigerians, demonstrated their exasperation with the corrupt governance of the APC and the PDP in the past twenty-four years. In the same vein, the attempt by some errant Igbos to give the impression that Mr. Peter Obi is an Igbo candidate is equally out of place. That candidate has had the support of progressive Nigerians all over the world.  

THE INTERROGATION OF INEC 

The 2023 elections have ranked as the worst in the history of Nigeria. Not only did the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contradict its regulations, but it also actively sought to frustrate the electoral process, particularly in the deployment of appropriate facilities and logistics in that election. It is imperative that INEC be interrogated about its handling of the 2023 elections, and the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, be properly investigated unless this public officer is beyond the laws of the land. The appropriate human and civil rights organizations in the country should commence a process towards that interrogation, as a precedence in future electoral engagements. 

MALLAM NASIR EL RUFAI 

In a video that has lately been trending on social media, the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, has been heard making statements that verily amount to reprehensible hate speech. His comments not only strongly indict him of complicity in the genocide that ravaged Kaduna State during his tenure, but they also have the potential to further stir that religious intolerance that has made Nigeria one of the most terrorized nations in the world. Unless the appropriate national security agents are ethnically and religiously biased, they should interrogate that politician the same way they have been known to readily summon lesser others accused of volatile incitements. 

Mallam Nasir El Rufai’s blatant infringement on public peace is where the strident voices of Christian leaders should have been heard, demanding his prosecution or his explanation of the claims in the trending video clip. Under the administration of Mallam Nasir El Rufai, thousands of innocent Christians were murdered in Kaduna State, while countless Christian communities were sacked by the Fulani militia often dubiously masked as ‘herdsmen.’  

REMOVAL OF PETROLEUM SUBSIDY 

The recent announcement by the APC on the ‘removal of petroleum subsidy’ without appropriate remediation for the plight of the masses reminds one of the story of King Rehoboam in the Bible. Soon as Rehoboam was up on the throne, he demonstrated a gross lack of empathy with the hardships of the people. The nation was soon destroyed under him. A Yoruba proverb warns that the eye that would see the evening does not create dirt in the morning. By its austere ‘welcome greeting,’ the APC appears to have affirmed that it is set to afflict Nigerians with more suffering than they had endured under Buhari. Unfortunately, it is the same political group that, in 2012, vehemently opposed and castigated the former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, for attempting to initiate the same process that they now hail. The hypocrisy is choking.  

CONCLUSION 

We appeal to all Nigerians of good conscience to lend their voices to the need to raise credible leadership for the country. Competent leadership is indispensable to peace and progress in Nigeria. As a people, we have suffered unwarranted hardship amidst abundant resources, because of our leadership deficits. Anything short of credible leadership in this season would mean for the country to continue in penury and sorrow.

Those who rig elections can neither claim to have been ordained by God nor to mean well for the people. Nothing good comes out of fraud. At the National Prayer Altar, we shall continue to pray every day for righteousness to prevail in the country, trusting God to heal our land. Amen. 

Endorsed by:

1. Bosun Emmanuel SW
2. Kontein Trinya SS
3. Sylvester Mbamali SE
4. Linda Ndache NE
5. Alabi Mojirade NC
6. Hauwa Kure NW
7. Ekashili Sunday SS
8. Gideon Ghajiga NE
9. Augustine Okoronkwo SE
10. Emmanuel Gabriel NC
11. Akuzuo Ofoefule SE
12. Chiedu Issachar SE
13. Doris Ipinniwa NC (USA)
14. Olufunmilayo Ewa-Jesu SW
15. Ihuoma Okorocha SE
16. Mary Anso NC (UK)
17. Peter John-Isagua SS
18. Michael Adedeji SW
19. Agatha Kio SS
20. Anyam Anastasia SE
21. Aduroja Delights SS
22. Ngozi Udombana SE
23. Ibironke Alonge SW
24. Chimezie Oyeneye SE
25. Joy Osedeme SS
26. Eno Akan-Essien SS (Canada)
27. David Adebayo Alabi SW
28. Ngozi Azubike SE
29. Yvonne Ben-Kalio SS
30. Gloria Akinniyi SW (USA)
31. Ilanye Jumbo SS
32. Tom-George I. C. SS
33. Elizabeth Fadero SS (UK)
34. Evelyn Alfred-Irabor SS
35. Patrick Emmanuel NC
36. Chinyere Adebayo SW
37. Peters Ifeoluwaju SW
38. John Okoli SE
39. Adewuyi Titilola NC
40. William Akhionbare SS
41. Stell-Maris Akhionbare SS
42. Aniema Ette SS
43. Stella Jacks SS
44. Zeuwa Okorocha SE
45. Comfort Ewang SS
46. Emmanuel Gbanigo SE
47. Eduzor Chinedu Emmanuel SE
48. Agnes Odiase SS
49. Benjamin Aditsoma NE
50. Joanna Kadiya NW
51. Odezi Evezi SS
52. Margaret N. Iroha. SE
53. Evarista Kajoh NC
54. Okoro Ebikaboere Cecilia SS
55. Okwuchukwu Blessed SE
56. Funmilola Oniye SW (UK)
57. Chinwe Nwagbo SE
58. Selinah Abu NC
59. Omodele Sonde SW
60. Tuate Alagoa -Nene SS
61. Blessed Sam Ogbonna SS
62. Mrs Patricia Tawo SS
63. Henrrietta Ihonor     SS
64. Vivian Pam NC
65. Biodun Oniye SW (UK)
66. Okwuchukwu Blessed SE
67. Blessed Sam Ogbonna SE
68. Elizabeth Agbetile SW (UK)
69. Hilda Omale NC
70. Obiweluozor Chinwe SE
71. Joy Anih SE (UK)
72. Comfort Piwuna NC
73. Abolaji Adeyemi SW
74. G. Arheghan SS
75. J. Ibrahim NW
76. Helen Ezeanyim SE
77. Olanrewaju Awotona SW
78. Victor Okpako SS
79. Ibukun Oluwafemi SW
80. Oluwatoyin Osinubi SW
81. Stella Ogar SS
82. Chinyere Ukaegbu SE
83. Chinyere Uduku SE
84. Helen Ogbonna SS
85. Doris Andrew SE
86. Durotolu Titilanu Akinyemi SW
87. Deborah Soyoye SW
88. Vicky Daniel NW
89. Ifeoma Enweani SE
90. Chidubem Akinyede SW
91. Chijioke Maduka SE
92. Chinenye Ohuabunwa SE
93. George Bari NW
94. Sodienye Alex-Hart SS
95. Elizabeth Fadero SS (UK)
96. Adeline Olaosebikan SW
97. Tunde Chukwujekwe SW
98. Andrew Okwudili SS
99. Rotimi Olokodana SW
100. Moda Boma Simon-Hart SS
101. Juliana Tanko NW
102. Goddy Ihesie SE
103. Ima Usen Emmanuel SS
104. Bunmi Adekeye SW (UK)
105. Bertha Nnadozie SE
106. Rose Okoro SS
107. Oluchi Ema SS
108. Ifeoma Enweani SS (USA)
109. Roger Tanko NW
110. Ikechukwu Obi SE
111. Chinagorom Okereke SE
112. Jude Onwueme SS
113. Christiana Ogaje NC
114. Mosun Malomo SW
115. Paul Oluwanibe SW
116. Maryam Mpur SE
117. Christiana Olawole SS
118. Marie Ene Orgah NC
119. Ayo Duro Emmanuel SW
120. Fatimah Obadaki NC
121. Lydia Peters SW
122. Morebisola Agbesanmi SW
123. Paul Etiubon SS
124. Obahi Ogidi NC
125. Abigail Dahoud SW
126. Remilekun Adesomoju SW
127. Ndace David NC
128. Chinwe Onyebuchi SE
129. Samuel Handan NW
130. Aduro Peter NC
131. Rebecca Etiubon SS
132. Larry Sylvans SE (UK)
133. Margret Adesida SW
134. Magaret Ihesie SE
135. Idongesit Essien SS
136. Seth Odeneye SW
137. Uduak Ekanem SS
138. Alisa Wadzani NE
139. Bukky Igunnu NC
140. Nma Igwe SE
141. Buraimoh Segun SW
142. Udoh-King Juliana SS
143. Elizabeth Obaba NC
144. Okam Kalu Ego SE
145. Ezekwe Elizabeth SE
146. Ngozi Chizobam SE
147. Awotunde Olukemi SW
148. Tanko Jock NW
149. Iniobong Efo SS
150. Enakeno Ohiorenoya SS
151. Nwakama Eddy-Ikwueze SE
152. Ernest Nwokolo SE
153. Deborah Ante NW
154. Tony Simon NW
155. Atinuke Amao-Kehinde SW
156. Charity Okujagu SS
157. Elsie Ososanya SW
158. Mabel Babasola SW
159. Celestina Nweze SE
160. Chinyere Ezims SE
161. Martina Oziegbe SS
162. Anthony Ikechi SE
163. Emeka Ezebudey SE
164. Abigail Ishaya NC
165. Ifeoma Enweani SE (USA)
166. David Emmanuel SE
167. Joanna Jatau NC
168. Ifeoma Edoziem SE
169. Udeh Obiageli SE
170. Chioma Amajoh SE
171. Obby Okorafor SE
172. Samuel Enesi SE
173. Favour Isaac SW
174. Banji Majowa SW