TheCable

Matthew Kukah, Catholic bishop of Sokoto diocese, says it will be “one of the greatest miracles” if Nigeria pulls through the 2019 elections successfully.

Kukah said this in an interview published in the April edition of The Africa Report magazine.

“It will be one of the greatest miracles if we pull through the election successfully,” he said.

“I do not see how we are going to conduct these elections if nothing urgent is done to increase a sense of national cohesion.”

He said there is heightened tension in virtually all states in the country, which would make it difficult to have a peaceful election.

“It would be difficult to find out single state where you do not have tension that could boil over,” Kukah said.

“If you multiply this by the number of states in Nigeria and the little sense of urgency, it would be difficult to talk about 2019 without a sense of foreboding.

“I have never felt this way. I prayerfully hope the government will wake up to appreciating how bitter people feel.”

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has to do an “extraordinary work” to convince Nigerians of its readiness to be neutral during the general election.