Rev. Cornelius Eke of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Nigeria (RPCN), has warned the electorate against selling their votes ahead of the General Elections.
The warning is contained in a statement signed by the Head, Directorate of Media and Communication of the Church, Dr Joseph Chukwu, and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
He further warned them against exchanging their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for any pecuniary benefits.
 The clergy described 2023 as a “defining year” for the country.
According to him, the year will witness two critical events – the general elections and Census.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the warning was part of the cleric’s New Year sermon.
Eke, who is the Secretary General of RPCN, Redemption Congregation, Abakaliki, further underscored the importance of the general elections in the country’s history.
He maintained that the exercise was crucial and required the participation of all registered voters to ensure that the right candidates emerged.
He, therefore, advised Nigerians not to sell their votes.
“Do not behave like Esau in the Bible, who sold his birthright for a paltry pot of porridge and suffered the consequences, thereafter.
“Your PVC is your birthright and power, use it wisely to install a credible government so that you will not live in regret for the next four years.
“Do not sell it, no matter how much the politicians may price it,’’ Eke added.
He further charged the church members and Christian faithful in the country to participate actively in politics so that credible candidates who would salvage and rescue Nigeria would emerge.
He further spoke on the 2023 Census and described it as a significant milestone.
He maintained that it would be the first time in more than a decade that the country’s actual population would be known.
The clergyman added that a successful census would help to usher in proper planning in all facets of governance.
“If you refuse to be counted, it means you don’t count in Nigeria.
“So, you must present yourself and your family to be counted when the time comes so that you will count in Nigeria,’’ the statement added.
It further stated that the country’s 17-year-old census data was not only obsolete but unreliable in national planning.
He added that with the imminent new census data, “government would plan with certainty instead of estimations”.
“2023 will usher in open doors, new opportunities, progress, blessings, abundance and prosperity to Nigerians who build their trust in God only.
“People should not dwell in the past or allow themselves to be distracted by irrelevances,’’ he advised. (NAN)
