Nigeria Elections - More ripples have continued to emerge from the new election time table as the some Christian clerics in the country find fault with the fixing of elections immediately after the Easter holidays. The Christian pastors that commented on the new time frame for the elections pointed out that the new schedule would not be good for Christians. Commenting on the issue, the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma said in Enugu on Tuesday, that it was not the ideal for INEC to schedule governorship and state assembly elections on Easter Tuesday.

He noted that the new date for the gubernatorial elections "it is not good enough for Christians".

According to him, "the week is a holy week and election should not have been fixed on that day," Chukwuma told a news conference.

"That arrangement has not accorded enough respect to Christendom. It is a slap on Christians, he said, adding that "fixing elections to restrict movements of people within the holy week is not acceptable".

"Why will INEC re-schedule election during a holy week and not on a weekend," Chukwuma queried.

The bishop added that the arrangement was a breach of the doctrines of Christianity.

"Will people of other faith accept this arrangement, if tables were turned," he asked.

Rt. Rev. Chukwuma expressed regret that both the EFCC and the ICPC did not properly screen candidates before the elections.

"EFCC and ICPC should have done their work before elections. They should have made the candidates to declare their assets in order to bar those that had questions to answer from contesting the elections.

"How can they allow people that were in their custody to contest for positions," the bishop queried.

He urged INEC to display names and photographs of candidates to enable eligible Nigerians to know who they would be voting for.

"This time around, we want to vote in people with personality and integrity and not parties," the bishop said.

Chukwuma warned politicians who were desperate to acquire power to desist as the Church was ready to protest against any irregularity and rigging.

"The Church will definitely make sure that justice and equity prevails in the country," he said.

The bishop, however, urged INEC to stop under age children from voting, in order not to sabotage the electoral process.

Daily Champion/07/04/2011