Ene Asuquo
With six days to the Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Nigeria, the European Union Election Observation Mission led by Robert Hall and Diana Ferrari last week, visited Olumba Olumba Obu at the world headquarters of the church in Calabar and pledged that they would not be participants in the Nigeria’s general election holding on 25 February and 11 March 2023.
The team made the pledge Friday evening when they called on His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu, the spiritual leader of a renowned spiritual organisation, Brotherhood of the Cross and Star.
On their mission to Obu during the visit, they explained that it was imperative that they stopped over to see the spiritual leader because from their intelligence he had much positive influence over his mammoth adherents in Nigeria and abroad.
Leader of the team, Robert Hall commended the spiritual leader for sacrificial efforts at uniting families and communities.
His words; “We are election observers on assignment to Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. We received good reports about the spiritual leader and his large followers and noted that BCS is an influential community with a very large congregation in Nigeria”.
“Since we are to educate the electorate on the need to participate in the Nigeria general election by casting their votes, there was the need for us to visit the Leader of BCS.”
On their neutrality during the election, Hall said,
“Nothing can make us to violate our mandate or the oath taken not to be participants in the election.”
In his response, the spiritual leader said he was very happy over their visit and will afford them desired cooperation.
He said the forthcoming election was very important to Nigerians but that he has no preferred presidential candidate.
He told the EU delegation that He has admonished His adherents to freely exercise their franchise to whoever the Spirit administers to them.
His Holiness Obu sued for a smooth and peaceful conduct of the general election, stressing that it must be devoid of vote buying, rigging, violence and killings.
On EU request to know more about the organization, the spiritual leader said his mission and teachings border on love, forgiveness, peace and unity of all races.
He said that except in Russia, he has worship centres in several countries of the world.
He assured the EU Observers of their safety throughout their stay in Nigeria, adding that he would gladly receive them again since they promised to return to the organization in continuation of their election education.
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