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Matthew Kukah, Catholic bishop of Sokoto diocese, says it will be “one of
the greatest miracles” if Nigeria pulls through the 2019 elections
successfully.
Kukah said this in an interview published in the April edition of The
Africa Report magazine.
“It will be one of the greatest miracles if we pull through the election
successfully,” he said.
“I do not see how we are going to conduct these elections if nothing
urgent is done to increase a sense of national cohesion.”
He said there is heightened tension in virtually all states in the
country, which would make it difficult to have a peaceful election.
“It would be difficult to find out single state where you do not have
tension that could boil over,” Kukah said.
“If you multiply this by the number of states in Nigeria and the little
sense of urgency, it would be difficult to talk about 2019 without a sense
of foreboding.
“I have never felt this way. I prayerfully hope the government will wake
up to appreciating how bitter people feel.”
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has to do an
“extraordinary work” to convince Nigerians of its readiness to be neutral
during the general election.