By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Ahead of the March 11, 2023, governorship election, the National Publicity Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Bishop Dr Gospel Emmah Isong, on Monday in Calabar, dissociated himself from the endorsement of the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, Pro Sandy Onor.
Isong made the clarification while to the purported endorsement of Onor in a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Calabar.
He called for caution on the issue, and other political matters, so that the fathers of faith would not be seen as being partisan, and that they don’t end up losing their roles as spiritual fathers and mentors.
Isong, who doubles as the Patron of South-South zone of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the General Overseer of Christian Central Chapel International, CCCI, 8 Miles, Ikot Ene Obong, Calabar, stated that even though he made no input before the decision was taken, his candid opinion is that the body ought to tread with caution on the issue and several other political issues.
Similarly, in a statement dated March 5 and signed by Bishop Isong, he drew biblical inference from the Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 11, verse 3, which stated that “how will the rain fall and the ground does not know?”
Isong’s statement reads, “For some days now, I have been inundated with several calls, especially from politicians and senior pastors about the above memo purported to have emanated from our state chapter of the PFN, containing instructions to our members on how to vote come this Saturday gubernatorial elections in Cross River State.
“Even though I never heard of this decision nor was I ever consulted my advise is that it is very important we tread very cautiously on this and other political matters, else we shall be seen as being partisan and lose our roles as spiritual fathers and mentors.
“Though, we have the constitutional rights to air our views, but let us avoid a situation the enemy uses politics to divide the Church of the living God. Acts 1 vs 24 says, ‘And they prayed, and said; thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen.’
“We have prayed and fasted, it is now time for God Almighty to help us cast our votes wisely this Saturday, March 11th 2023. Our motto says; ‘That They May Be One’ (John 17 v 22).”
Recall that the state chairman of the PFN, Pastor Lawrence Ekwok, had in a statement, signed by him, the General Secretary, Apostle Frank Umo, and the state Director, Politics and Good Governance, Pastor Kyrian Ojong, and sighted by our correspondent in Calabar during a parley with journalists on Monday, stating that the PDP governorship candidate came up best in the opinion poll organised by the Christian body, where the Christian body directed it’s members to cast thier votes in suport of the PDP candidate.
This development prompted reaction from different quarters, criticizing the PFN for daring to meddle in party politics.
