The President of the Calabar Archdiocesan chapter of the association, Rev. Emmenuel Duke, said this at its 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Calabar on Wednesday.
The year’s AGM has as its theme: “The Imperative of Effective Evangelism Through Inclusiveness.”
Duke whose archdiocese is hosting no fewer than 170 priests from 56 dioceses, said that the theme was apt because it was about the church and the society.
He explained that as such; the church, especially the Catholic Church, would want to change the political narrative in the 2023 general elections in Nigeria by encouraging its faithful to exercise their franchise.
According to him, “Next year’s elections are like no others. We did a lot of grassroots’ mobilisation during the voters’ registration and we will do same for the polls.
“We specially wrote the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration units and had every person of voting age registered. We have also mobilised them to collect their Permanent Voter Cards’ (PVCs).
“It is the same measure we will adopt during the elections; properly mobilise everybody to exercise their franchise.
“We have told them to vote according to their conscience on election days and that they should not sell their conscience because of money.
“They should vote candidates they believe are sincere, committed and dedicated.”
The association, while bemoaning the current insecurity in the country, however, said that they would remain undeterred.
Rev. Fr. Charles Etim, the Chairman of the Central Organising Committee for the meeting, said that insecurity would not make them (Priests) shy away from the responsibility God has assigned to them.
He stressed that even with the level of insecurity in the country; a priest should not be seen to be carrying gun.
“Our Lord did not carry arm or security guards, we believe that the Lord is there to protect us,” he said.
In his address, the national president of the association, Rev. Johnbosco Ezehi, encouraged all clergymen in the country to remain undaunted despite the present challenges facing the country.
He encouraged Nigerians to pray so that God will lead them into electing good and responsive leaders in 2023.