By CALEB AYANSINA

ABUJA – PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to all Christian faithful to intensify their prayers for the stability of the country, arguing that his administration can only conduct free and fair elections with the prayer support of the faithful.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Jonathan, who was speaking at the first 2015 plenary session of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), tagged: ‘Good Family, Make Good Nation’, in Abuja, thanked Christians for their prayers for the country.

“I am ready to champion the course that would bring Nigeria to an enviable height.

“I need prayers and support of all Nigerians to run free, fair and credible elections.

“I am convinced that this country will continue to be stable,” he said.

The President used the opportunity to reassure that the 2015 elections would be held as scheduled, urging Nigerians to co-operate with his government.

“Elections will be conducted as scheduled by INEC. Look at what happened in Gombe on February 14, if elections had been held the casualty figure of that attack would have been great.

“Its better for us to conduct elections that will not be contested, elections that are credible, free and fair.

“I will not do anything because of personal interest that would jeopardize the interest of this nation,” President Jonathan assured.

The CBCN president and Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama called for political campaigns based on issues and not of inciting utterances that were capable of increasing the already tensed political climate.

His words: “The feverish barren political campaigns do not allow room for a national family spirit and the quest to win elections at all cost contribute to heating up the political temperature.

“We are then surprised that some people domiciled and doing business elsewhere are moving back to their home towns for fear of political violence during the elections.

“We are deeply saddened by unedifying pronouncements by persons or groups from the North and South, who threaten brimstone and fire should their preferred political candidate fail to win the presidential election.

“We have not relented in our conversation with the aspirants to ask them to do something urgently to check this ugly trend,” he noted.