The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has urged Nigerians to take responsibility for their choices in the coming elections, warning them against voting wrongly in 2027.

“We are not helpless, and this what I encourage young people,” Mr Kukah stated during the 70th anniversary celebration of Saint Finbarr’s College on Friday. “Vote to stay alive. We are largely responsible for the nature of the choices we made. As I say, we are not as innocent as we think we are.”

The cleric urged Nigerians to leverage the social media to research and understand candidates’ antecedents and backgrounds before voting for them.

He noted that while voters often concentrate on the inadequacies of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), government and security agencies for problems surrounding elections, they must also accept responsibility for the choices they make at the polls.

“It’s okay to blame INEC, the government and the security agencies but in the final analysis, nobody is holding a gun to your head asking you to choose this or that person.

“The social media is there. If I say I want to be your governor, senator or governor, go to the internet, check my record, what I have achieved and have an idea about my background,” the cleric added.

Mr Kukah’s comment came a few months to the 2027 general elections, highlighting the need for voter responsibility and informed political choices across the country.