A Philippines-based Nigerian clergyman, Bishop Tony Marioghae, has warned that Nigeria’s 2023 general elections may be the only chance to save the country from very few cabals holding it down.

The country holds a general election in a few days from now.

But the bishop said that if Nigerians fail to elect the right person as president in a few days’ time, the repercussions will be devastating, not only for this generation but also for generations unborn.

In a statement personally signed by the cleric, he said, “In a few days, Nigerians will head to the polls in one of the nation’s most divisive, but consequential presidential elections.

“The stakes are high. People are fed up with the status quo and want genuine change.

“The most radical elements in our midst even desire a people’s revolution.

“After eight years of this administration, the nation has moved closer to the edge of the abyss.

“One more mistake may cause irreversible damage to our political entity.’

He warned that Nigerians must choose wisely by elevating the nation’s destiny above personal interests and sentiments.

He said: “Patriotism means painful sacrifices.

“Since the inception of this government, the nation has changed drastically.

“Still, it was a change that has traumatized Nigerians in all facets of life – with the legacy of corruption, disunity, nepotism, insecurity, terrorism, inflation, gasoline scarcity, food scarcity and the highest unemployment rate in the nation’s history.”

Marioghae lamented that Nigerians have never experienced anything as terrible as this.

“Therefore, inaction at this crucial time will be an irresponsible act of unpatriotism.

“We must vote to liberate this nation from the claws of the insidious by electing the most competent presidential candidate and qualified lawmakers,” he stressed.

Nigeria, he added, belongs to all, stressing, “We should never allow a few corrupt politicians and oligarchs who constitute less than one per cent of the nation’s population to determine the nation’s destiny and turn Nigeria into a wasteland by looting the treasury and making it their piggy bank.

‘The resolve of over 200 million Nigerians must be stronger than the greed of a tiny cabal who arrogantly believe they own the country.

“We must end this political and economic tyranny and make Nigeria shine again.

“Despite our collective suffering, a shrinking GDP, a drained foreign reserve and an ever-growing debt profile, we have the power to end this nightmare and set our country on the path of peace, prosperity and progress by hiring a pragmatic and visionary thinker who has a production mindset to meet all domestic challenges and the global and technological demands of the 21^stcentury.

“A country that has produced many world-acclaimed icons and achievers in all spectrums of life should never surrender its highest office to incompetent politicians and the worst elements in our society.

“Enough is enough. We must use our votes to send a clear message to the corrupt cabal that Nigeria is not for sale.

“Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people’.

“The misconduct of a few must not be the yardstick for measuring the integrity of all Nigerians.

“We are hard-working and intelligent people who know how to make the right choices when the occasion demands.

“We should never allow religious and tribal barriers to divide our ranks.

“We must be resolute in our demands for positive change.

“With Nigeria’s vast mineral resources and untapped potential, our people should never live in poverty.

“We must rely on our shared vision rather than the goodwill of western nations and China to carve our destiny.

“To achieve this”, according to Bishop Marioghae, “we have a responsibility to embrace quality leadership, common sense legislation, accountability and competent execution of meaningful projects.

“Nigerians should learn to look inward through innovative thinking, prudent planning, and thrifty spending habits.

“For accelerated progress, the nation should decentralize and empower the states and local governments for maximum productivity by assigning more responsibilities to the local units through constitutional restructuring.

“We should never allow our sufferings to push us into despair and political apathy.

“Our vote is our power to turn our pain into purpose and tests into testimonies of victory that will reverberate worldwide.

“Let’s elect a president with vigour, compassion, knowledge, and competence to tackle the many problems of Nigeria…the person who will never betray the electoral mandate of the people who hired him to serve them.

“We do not want a flamboyant ’emperor’ as our president. We need a servant-leader who understands the daunting task ahead of him.

“It is needful to remind Nigerians of the urgency of the moment with the words of the American Senator from Georgia, Reverend Raphael Warnock, ‘a vote is a kind of prayer for the kind of world we desire for ourselves and our children.’