By Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin
Head Pastor of The City of Light Church, Pastor Sunday Adebayo Babalola, on Sunday, urged eligible voters who are Christians in Nigeria to get their permanent voter’s cards.
He urged them not only to vote during the elections but to stand to be voted for.
The cleric spoke at the first service of the ministry at its new ultra-modern, sophisticated, and cozy building located at No. 2/4 Shaki Crescent, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria.
The service attracted arrays of personalities in the Christian community as well as outstanding, vivacious gospel ministers, artists, dramatists, and performers.
Present also included the mother of the church, who is the ever-smiling, lively and amiable wife of the Head Pastor of the ministry, Pastor Bunmi Babalola.
He cautioned Christians to stop complaining of bad governance and current hardship and challenges facing Nigerians if they refuse to participate actively in the political process of governorship elections in 2022 in some states in Nigeria as well as the 2023 general elections.
He stated that the current state of affairs in the country reflected the type of leaders of the country, adding that if Christians want better governance, improved standard of living, security, employment, quality, affordable and accessible education, good and accessible healthcare delivery as well as improve in life expectancy, they should be active in politics.
He stated that Christians can make genuine and positive impacts in governance in Nigeria, adding that there is nothing wrong in Christians being active in politics.
The cleric said Nigeria’s current challenges are just a passing phase.
He prophesied that the country will survive its current challenges and will once again become a cynosure of all countries of the world.
According to him, the citizens will enjoy better governance and welfare and Nigeria
He, however, lamented the current hardship, insecurity, high inflation, and other developmental challenges confronting Nigeria and urged the residents and citizens not to be despondent but to remain optimistic of a brighter and better future.
Babalola said, “What is happening today is a passing phase. I use that to challenge all Christians in Nigeria to rise up and be a part of the political process. If you leave politics for area boys, and street urchins, what you will have is that the street urchins will bequeath what your life will be. In church today, leaders should be asking every member to, first of all, get their voter’s card and secondly participate in politics. David was a King, what is kingship? Politics, yet he was a prophet. Samuel was a judge. What is being a judge? Politics, yet he was a prophet.
“It is not righteousness for any Christian to sit behind and not be part of the processes because the people who should not be ruling you, will be the ones that are ruling you. I challenge the body of Christ today, as we open this sanctuary, to rise up and be a part of politics.
“We are not against any religion but we are saying and I am talking to all pastors listening to me, start telling your church members that they can not stay aloof of politics because of the cost of garri, the cost of milk, the hospitals that have no medications will be the result of the wrong people getting into power.
“Because of the City of Light Church, this land called Nigeria will be subdued before Christians and believers in Jesus Name.
“One thing I discovered in life is a man refused to answer the call of God for his life, he is more often than not be destroying other people’s destiny.”