By Bose Adelaja

Unlike many past elections in Nigeria,the next gubernatorial polls in Edo State is expected to be hitch free July 14, 2012.

A newly inaugurated prayer ministry, Prayer Action for Successful Season, PASS, has assembled about 7,000 Christians who are expected to offer intensive prayers which will pave way for a hitch-free election. According to PASS president, Pastor Bolaji Akin-yemi, the pastors, evangelists and prophets have arrived the Edo State and have started their intercessory prayers in parts of the state.

Believing that Nigeria will overcome all its current challenges, Akinyemi charged the Church to intensify its prayers regardless of denominational differences, noting that, “praying for Nigeria is a duty, not a choice. We are still looking forward to a major shake-up that will rid our nation of corrupt elements and the enthronement of God-fearing leaders at all levels. Our objective is to ensure a free and fair elections in Nigeria.”

According to him, the prayer warriors will, between Wed-nesday July 11, 2012 and Saturday July 14, embark on a non-stop fasting and prayers specifically for a peaceful election. “Our desire is that God should choose the man after His heart. The governorship seat will not be bought and any attempt to rig the polls will be exposed. We shall continue our prayer project during the Ondo State 2012 governorship election,” the cleric said.

He blamed the Church for all the national crises, saying “if the Church had taken its rightful place all the crises would have been a thing of the past. We have abandoned our wea-pons of warfare and embraced worldly weapons of intellectual arguments, activism and self pity.”