C-River Guber Race: Support For PDP Candidate Splits PFN

• PFN National Spokesman cautions against partisanship

BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – Simmering tension has engulfed the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Cross River State chapter following its leadership’s decision to adopt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Professor Sandy Onoh as their preferred choice for the March 11, 2023 governorship poll in the State.

Already, the move is generating huge disaffection within the Christian religious body with some long-standing members urgently calling for restraint by the PFN’s leaders in forging ahead with the adoption arrangement.

But addressing a press conference in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Chapter Chairman of PFN, Dr Lawrence Ekwok claimed the decision is based on grassroots strategic endorsement by the Fellowship members.

He explained that after careful interaction with the candidates representing each of the political parties, they are convinced that the PDP candidate has an upper hand in their individual assessment.

Dr Ekwok, who lectures at the Department of Theatre and Media Studies, University of Calabar, further said their stand was not influenced by any form of pecuniary interest but rather by the overriding interest of the state

Reminded of the implication of having the religious body jumping into partisan politics, Pastor Ekwok said being leaders of churches does not stop them from taking a stand on how best their welfare and that of their members would play out should they choose to keep silent on matters affecting the state’s overall interest and development.

However, shortly after the media briefing, some church leaders immediately distanced themselves from the. PFN’s position of adopting a preferred governorship candidate for the election.

Some of them, who preferred to speak strictly in confidence with Forefront News, cautioned the leadership against joining the political fray given the voters’ sentiments, stressing that it is only God Almighty who grants power to whosoever He chooses to do so

But reacting to the PFN’s position, the General Overseer of God Redemption Heritage, Dr Amaku Edet emphatically warned PFN leadership against playing God in the forthcoming election.

In condemning the decision, Dr Edet pointed out that it was capable of causing a serious rift within the body of Christ, adding that dabbling into partisan politics was quite a needless path to tread by the PFN leadership.

Going down memory lane, he challenged PFN leadership to come up with research statistics proving that Church leaders in the State have at one time or another demonstrated open partisanship in matters concerning the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the former State Chairman of PFN, Bishop Dr Emma Isong (JP) has also distanced himself from the purported adoption of PDP’s Prof Sandy Onoh as the preferred candidate for Christians in the State

Bishop Isong, who is the current National Publicity Secretary of PFN, warned that the Chapter is inadvertently throwing itself into an avoidable internal crisis by the decision to throw its hat into the political ring in a partisan manner.

Further decrying the high level of partisanship being exhibited by PFN leadership on the grounds that it may lead to a crack within the fold, the Clergy cautioned that the body must guard against a situation where its members would lose their respected positions as spiritual fathers and mentors to the people.