Just like the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has set up a department in the church for political mobilization ahead of the 2023 general elections.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the political department in the Anglican Communion was announced by the Primate and Metropolitan of all Nigeria, His Grace, Most Revd Henry Ndukuba.
He made the announcement at the final stage of the 2022 Joshua Generation International Youth Conference, where he also commissioned some other new important departments in the church.
Our correspondent gathered that the political department is meant to mentor youths in the Anglican church and prepare them ready to actively participate in Nigerian politics.
The political department is also to serve as a platform to encourage church members on the importance of getting their permanent voter’s cards (PVCs) and participating actively during elections.
The new department is also to help coordinate the engagement of the church members who are willing to be involved in politics as well as mobilize support for them.
While the scope of the department is yet to be fully defined, the general aim of the political department, according to the Primate, is to mobilise members of the Anglican church to actively participate in politics.
TNG reports the Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion after the Church of England.
As of 2016, membership of the church, measured was pegged at over 18 million. It is the largest Anglican province on the continent of Africa, accounting for 41.7% of Anglicans in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Recall that the RCCG had announced a similar political department in the church that was met with so much criticism recently.
While the RCCG gave a blanket reason on why it’s political department was set up, some members of the public, mostly on social media attributed the move to the presidential ambition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Meanwhile, Primate Ndukuba also commissioned a department in charge of assisting students, who wish to study abroad via scholarships or self funded.
Ndukuba also commissioned Church of Nigeria Football club to be registered into Nigerian Premier league with the recruitment of players expected to begin soon.
TNG reports the Primate also commissioned a department for mission outreach.