The Archbishop of Nigeria, Nicholas Okoh, has called for three days of prayer and fasting this weekend in the country ahead of a General Election which will take place in February and March. Archbishop Nicholas is calling on Christians to pray from Friday (1 Februar) to Sunday. The first round of voting is on 16 February with the final ballot on 2 March. Anglican churches in the country have been called on to organise joint prayer sessions in each parish throughout the three days.

The General Secretary of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Paul Dajur, circulated a message from the Archbishop, urging “all Anglicans and Nigerians to join in the prayers for the Church and the nation”, the Church of Nigeria said on its website.

Prayer resources provided for the three days lists a number of scriptures which can be used; including Psalms 32 and 51, which, the resource says, can be used “to bring repentance and confessions of our individual, institutional, organisational, communal and national sins as a people in Nigeria.”

It continues with a call to repentance “over such sins as bribery, corruption, nepotism, tribalism, bloodshed, sexual perversion, oppression, injustice, general wickedness etc.”

Amongst the intercessions in the guidance is a prayer for a “spirit of sportsmanship to be poured upon all politicians in all the elections across the nation. All politicians to avoid acts capable of provoking violence and breach of peace in our communities and cities across the nation before, during and after the elections.”