A clergyman in Abuja has warned Nigerians to reject electoral violence as the nation moves toward 2027 elections. Ven.
Dr. Princewell Onyinyechukwu Ireoba, Vicar and Archdeacon of St.
James Anglican Church in Asokoro, made the call during the church's Father's Day service on Sunday.
Ireoba urged residents across the FCT and beyond to abandon corruption, ritual practices, and other societal ills. He stressed that fathers must take responsibility for transmitting faith and moral values to their children.
The cleric spoke to a theme that framed fatherhood as a relay race. Success, he explained, depends on running well and handing the baton effectively to the next generation.
Ireoba warned against a resurgence of fetish practices and idolatry in the nation. Leaders must set examples if society hopes to transform, he added.
According to him, the family forms the bedrock of both the Church and society. When governance and public service fail, the roots often lie in failures at home, he noted.
Dr. Emmanuel Ohakim, who delivered the Father's Day sermon, argued that societal change starts in homes.
Children raised with strong spiritual and moral foundations resist negative influences more effectively, he said.
Senator Magnus Abe, chairman of the planning committee for the event, emphasized a critical point. Fathers must first embody the virtues they wish to instill in their children, Abe told the congregation.
The gathering celebrated fatherhood under the banner "Passing the Baton: Faith from Father to Children." Church members and community leaders attended the Sunday service in the nation's capital.