The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers State, Dr Dakuku Peterside,  has described mothers as God’s special gift to humanity.
He said mothers, by their nature and responsibilities, guide society’s direction either for good or otherwise.
He stated this in Port Harcourt as the Anglican community marked Mothering Sunday.
Peterside who spoke at St. Paul’s Cathedral Diobu; St. Thomas Anglican Church Diobu District, and St Andrew’s Church, Rumuola, praised mothers for sacrificing selflessly for their respective families and society.
“I am here to honour our mothers and our children. As I entered the church, I saw Lady Hannah Agunma, she reminded me of my childhood. Today’s event therefore reminds me of what mothers mean to all of us.
“I celebrate you our esteemed mothers because of who you are and the sacrifices you make for us. I pray that God will remember you. You will age gracefully and the anointing will not leave you. And your children will also remember you.
‘In this season of elections, I call on you to continue to be our mothers in words and actions because you have a role to play. We have to make choices, the choices regarding those who will lead us. As we choose our leaders, we must decide to make the right decisions by agreeing to walk out of the bondage of violence, insecurity, joblessness and incompetence. We have to decide where to go.
“I have offered myself to serve, make a choice that reflects the will of God. Anybody who wants to occupy the office of the governor must be God-fearing, humble and compassionate so that he can feel what mothers and widows feel. We must not vote for aggressive, conceited, hostile and disrespectful people because their reign will not glorify God.
“But you must play your part. You must guide your children aright because when you guide them right, you guide the entire society. Though God chooses leaders, as mothers, God has given you an understanding to make decisions and your decisions will put society either on the part of peace or violence.
He charged women to be courageous and to remember the roles slavery and freedom played in the history of Mothering Sunday, adding that Nigeria is in another kind of bondage today. Peterside called on mothers to join hands with progressive minded people who are working to free the country from the bondage violence, unemployment insecurity, corruption, cultism, underdevelopment, and impunity.
He asked mothers to preach peace, love and good neighbourliness, and to also remember that the greatest gift today is the gift of the Good News.
Responding, Venerable John Adubasin, Archdeacon of St. Paul’s Cathedral prayed for Peterside and his wife. “May God guide and protect you throughout this campaign. He has already started a good work in your life. In Rivers State, we want a governor after God’s heart and we are hopeful. No man of violence will rule this land. So may the will of God be done,” he said.
Similarly, Venerable Eugene Nicholas and Reverend Cannon Sullivan Odike of St. Thomas and St. Andrews respectively also prayed for Peterside and wished him the very best in his political journey.