Pastor Seyi Malomo, Chaplain of Aso Villa Chapel, says it is high time politicians and Nigerians stopped seeing politics as a do-or-die affair.

Malomo gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) shortly after the 845-hour nonstop praise which the church, in collaboration with other churches organised for the 2019 general elections, came to an end in Abuja.

He said people must realise that elections were mechanisms for selecting the leaders on a temporary basis.

“So, it shouldn’t be something that we kill ourselves; we go all out as if it is a do-or-die affair.

“Those who are in position 30 years ago, 20 years ago, people don’t even reckon with them. So we should realise that it is a transient thing.

“Therefore, we must do all the needed modifications, all the needed adjustments in our political sphere; lessons that must have been learnt from these mistakes by INEC, politicians and everybody.’’

The clergyman said he believed the future of the country was brighter and “we must all look inward.’’

“Every organisation, individual should be able to ask where can I become better? And I believe with that, killings, violence will be a thing of the past.

‘’By the grace of God when God enables us to have all the various changes, improvements that are needed in our electoral process, things will become better.

“It is good now, but it can be better because there is always room for improvement,’’ he said.

Malomo urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the leaders as another term of leadership administration begins.

According to him, the leaders are not an island; they need the power of God.

“The Bible says unless the Lord builds, they labour in vain. The fact that we have elected leaders does not mean we should go to sleep.

“We need to back them up; we have to pray for them for wisdom and fear of God and for them to be just.

”We have to pray that God Almighty will take control of their minds,’’ he remarked.

The chaplain, who called on the media and the civil society organisations to also play their role, said everyone must realise that ‘’we have just one nation; we don’t have another nation.’’

“The leaders must know that they are not going to be there for ever and so what legacy are they leaving against their names for the future.

“And those who are not there now must know that they must build the nation well so that when they get there, they will see the improvement they can build on.

”So we all have to build this nation and shun violence, shun evil and anything that derogates or brings down the nation but that which upholds the territorial integrity of Nigeria,” he said.

NAN reports that the 35-day concert, which began Feb. 3, ended March 10 at about 8 p.m.

NAN