By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

A religious pressure group, the Nigerian National Christian Coalition (NNCC) says Christians won’t rule out negotiations with the leading presidential candidates in the run-up to the 2023 elections.

The group, which has the backing of prominent Church leaders across the nation, stated that negotiations are part of the leadership process.

It, however, regretted that some politicians have felt safe to dare Christians by ignoring their sensibilities, believing that the Church is in their pockets as the nation prepares for the forthcoming general elections.

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the Convener of NNCC, Apostle Titi Oluwadare, said that while engaging the presidential candidates and other political leaders, the body would be guided by the general interest of Christians.

According to her, it had been established that the followers of Christ have been systematically relegated to the background in the scheme of things, especially around the corridors of power.

She stated that these are not cheery times for the Christians and the Church of God in Nigeria, adding that negotiations after the presidential election would indeed be a “tall order.”

Apostle Oluwadare said, “We no longer want to be spectators we want a seat at the table as partners who will advise on what is important to the church.

“The intent of the church leaders who are widely consulted is to use NNCC as a pressure group and political negotiation tool for the body of Christ.

“We will bring the best in the church together: politicians, businessmen, political strategists, men of God and all Christians for a show of strength to reveal to those who disregard the church that we are not a walk over.

“In fact, whoever ignores and insults the church of Christ in 2023 do so to their detriment. The church is now awake and we are ready to constructively engage with other stakeholders in the Nigeria project.

“We are discussing with people of all faith, tribe and tongue in a bid for peace, and national healing as well as national rebirth.”

She explained that the core objectives of NNCC are the unity of the church and healing of the nation.

The cleric stressed that group would also pursue the enablement of all Christians to chart a path for their aspirations through inclusion and their communities and interests in the political calculations.

“We are also committed to energising and educating the Christian political base which cuts across the nation.

“Moreover we are glorifying the name of Jesus Christ by praying and working towards the peace, love, progress and harmony of all Nigerians.

“Finally, we want rational minds across the nation and faiths to come together to trigger a national orientation and rebirth,” Oluwadare said.

To this end, she said the NNCC would be hosting a summit tagged: ‘Meet the Church’ in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on September 20, to unify the political aspirations of the body of Christ in Nigeria so that it can speak with one voice to the issues that are of interest to the whole church.

“It’s also a program bringing the church and politicians together for an engagement to lay down the interests of the church and negotiate with politicians to cause inclusion of the church in project Nigeria,

“NNCC seeks to put forward the position and feelings of the Church to elicit a bargain from powers such that never again would the Church be caught napping and their interests treated as irrelevant.

“NNCC believes these issues are fundamental given the great divide in the polity, especially with the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which put paid on the warped understanding of the politicians of the Christian interest,” she added.