Catholics in Nigeria face violence and intimidation.Election results questioned

The recent presidential election in Nigeria has received mixed reactions from both citizens and international observers, with Catholics facing violence in some areas.

While some hailed the election as a victory for democracy, others criticized the process as flawed and marred by injustice.

International observers reported logistical failures at polling stations and violence on the fringes of the process.

Joyce Banda, head of the international delegation of observers and former president of Malawi, congratulated Nigerians on their “perseverance and enthusiasm” and “desire to make their voices heard.”

But she said that “logistical deficiencies created tensions” while “problems with electronically transmitting results and uploading them to public portals in a timely manner undermined public confidence at a crucial moment.” ” he said.

President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinub denied any serious failures in the process, arguing that irregularities were “relatively few in number and insignificant to the end result.”

He quickly formed a reconciliation committee with opposition candidates, but while Labor promised to challenge the results in court, a PDP spokesman refused to “put a rubber stamp on election fraud”.

One of the key concerns that has emerged is the growing Muslim domination of the country. Tinub ran on the all-Muslim electoral ticket, and the victory surprised Christians across the country.

parish staff evacuated

Dozens were reportedly killed in post-election attacks on villages in Nigeria’s Benue state on Wednesday, parish officials said.

In an exclusive interview with ACI Africa, Father Remigius Ihlah, Director of the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, described the violence. He said parish staff had been evacuated by the military.

“We wonder how ordinary nomads can get their hands on military equipment. The only possible scenario is that they are getting help from the authorities,” he said. The priest surmised that the majority of the Fulani are Muslims and the majority of the victims are Christians.

Nigeria’s Muslim population is steadily growing, and their growing political influence has increased tensions with other religious groups, especially Christians. The Catholic Church, which has a large presence in Nigeria, is one of the churches most affected by the growing influence of Muslims in politics.

The church has been a vocal critic of government policies and called for greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process. However, this has made the church a target of violence and intimidation, with reports of attacks on Catholic churches and their staff.

Despite these challenges, the Church has remained committed to defending the rights of all Nigerians and promoting social justice. It calls on the government to take steps to ensure the safety of its staff and to investigate incidents of violence and intimidation.

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