Not Voting During Elections Is a Sin, CAN Chairman Tells Christians
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Nasarawa State, Rev. Dr. Sunday Emma, has urged Christians to participate actively in elections, describing failure to vote as both a civic neglect and a moral responsibility believers should not ignore.
Speaking with journalists in Lafia while reflecting on recent electoral exercises, including the Nasarawa bye-election, Emma said Christians have a duty to contribute to nation-building by exercising their constitutional right to vote.
According to him, civic participation remains an important expression of responsible citizenship and aligns with biblical principles of engagement and accountability.
“We will not get tired of enlightening people because that is one of the responsibilities entrusted to us. We cannot sit back and expect the right thing to happen without playing our part,” he said.
The cleric stressed that voting should not be viewed as optional for believers, arguing that abstaining from elections weakens efforts toward good governance.
“Once an election is scheduled, you are expected to go out and exercise your franchise. Not exercising your franchise is even a sin, and that must be understood,” he added.
Emma encouraged Nigerians, particularly Christians, to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and urged eligible citizens who have not registered to do so before the deadline.
He also advised voters not to become discouraged by the perception that votes do not count, insisting that increased participation remains one of the ways to strengthen the democratic process.
According to him, when citizens withdraw from governance processes, the consequences are often reflected in poor leadership outcomes, economic hardship and underdevelopment.
The CAN chairman further called on voters to remain peaceful while protecting the integrity of their votes and expressed confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct credible elections.
He, however, expressed concern over what he described as the growing trend of election disputes being determined in courtrooms instead of being settled at the ballot box.
“Elections should be decided by the votes cast by the people,” he said, while urging judicial officers to remain impartial and uphold justice in electoral matters.
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