{
  "id": 7936746,
  "title": "Reject Vote Buying, Demand Credible Elections, Catholic Bishops Tell Nigerians",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/reject-vote-buying-demand-credible-elections-catholic-bishops-tell",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T03:23:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/17/reject-vote-buying-demand-credible-elections-catholic-bishops-tell-nigerians/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has strongly urged Nigerians to reject the corrupt practice of vote-buying and demand for transparent, free, fair, and credible elections ahead of the 2027 polls. During a visit to the palace of the Ooni of Ife, the CBCN’s president, Matthew Ndagoso, emphasized the need to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic process through responsible participation and credible elections. He warned against exchanging votes for money and stressed that credible elections are crucial for tackling the nation’s challenges, including insecurity, poverty, corruption, unemployment, violence, and ethnic or religious divisions. Ndagoso called for enhanced collaboration between religious and traditional institutions to address these pressing issues. He highlighted that Nigeria’s problems require a collective effort from the government, traditional leaders, religious organizations, and citizens. The bishops praised the Ooni of Ife for his efforts in promoting peace, national unity, youth development, and harmonious coexistence among Nigerians of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. The CBCN delegation, comprising prominent religious leaders, delivered their message during the group’s plenary assembly, which was ongoing from September 10 to 18.",
  "summary": "Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged Nigerians to reject vote-buying and demand transparent, free, fair, and credible elections, starting with 2027. The bishops",
  "key_points": [
    "CBCN urges Nigerians to reject vote-buying in 2027 elections",
    "Transparent, free, fair, and credible elections needed",
    "Collaboration with religious, traditional institutions essential"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria's call for credible elections and rejection of vote-buying signals a push for heightened civic responsibility and transparency in the country's democratic process.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}