• Cleric urges President to change leadership style
• Group warns against politicisation of security issues in Nigeria
• Accuses opposition parties of sponsoring protests on service chiefs’ removal

Against the backdrop that President Muhammadu Buhari should resign because of the insecurity situation in the land, the United International Association Of Pentecostal Bishops said the call was unnecessary.

At the two-day synod retreat in Lagos yesterday, titled “More than a day’s journey” the association urged the President to re-strategise his style of leadership and make corrections where necessary.

They also agreed that the service chiefs should also be changed for better results.

President of the association, Archbishop Joseph Ojo, argued that the President needs help and as such, the bishops came together to pray for him and the country, as well as other countries of the world that are facing similar challenges like Nigeria.

He said: “We are not just praying for peace alone, we are also praying for the President of this great country Nigeria to see reasons why he should re-strategise his style of leadership and look at it from another perspective. It is not just asking him to resign is the issue, if he resigns who will come there? Who is going to do something different, so, we are not supporting that call that he should resign, rather, he should look at issues facing the country, for instance, insecurity in the land, from a different perspective.

“What we believe is that the President needs help and our help is to pray for him. That is why we have gathered as bishops from different places such as Nigeria, Gambia, United Kingdom and other parts of the world to this retreat, and to pray to God so He could make the President see reasons why he should change his style of leadership. So, we are not supporting or clamouring for his resignation.”

Meanwhile, a group, the Conference of Civil Society Organisations for Peace, Security and National Development, yesterday warned against the politicisation of the spate of insecurity in the country.

The group, at a rally held in Abuja, accused opposition political parties in the country of cashing in on the security situation in the country to score political goals.

Mike Msuaan and Adamu Kabir Matazu, who spoke on behalf of the assembly, comprising over 100 groups, faulted calls for the removal of service chiefs, adding that their removal could worsen the security situation in the country.

They noted: “We as patriots cannot continue to look the other way and allow political parties to continue to play politics with lives and unity of our dear nation. We are all witnesses to what the security situation was and what it is now.

“While we are not completely satisfied with the situation at the moment, we are also not unmindful of the gains made through the contributions of the current service chiefs in destroying Boko Haram and other sinister networks that pose threat to the security of Nigeria.