By Nwabueze Okonkwo
ONITSHA — A political analyst, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has criticised members of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) over their reported endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a second term in office. Ejiofor described the introduction of religious endorsement into the political arena as dangerous, particularly in an already fragile political environment. In a statement issued at the weekend and titled, “The Auction of Ecclesiastical Imprimatur: A Disturbing Show of Shame and the Urgent Need to Quarantine Religious Authority from the 2027 Electioneering Campaigns,” he urged Nigerians, particularly Christians, to strengthen rather than weaken democratic institutions. According to him, the Church should serve as a conscience to power rather than become an instrument for political mobilisation. “The Church should be a conscience to power, not a megaphone for power. A bishop should be able to challenge the government today and commend it tomorrow without either position being interpreted as evidence of political purchase,” he said. Ejiofor stressed that his position was not against Christians participating in politics or clergy exercising their civic rights, but against the politicisation of Christianity and the use of collective ecclesiastical authority as an electoral endorsement mechanism.
“The 2027 elections should therefore be fought on issues, records and competing visions for Nigeria and not on the altar of religious solidarity. And, quite frankly, our democracy certainly deserves better than an electoral contest in episcopal regalia,” he said.
He cited recent comments by Chief Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of Arise Media Group, who urged politicians, particularly presidential aspirants, to embrace issue-based campaigns and avoid religious-based politicking. Ejiofor said the advice was timely, given what he described as the dangerous intersection of religion and politics in Nigeria. He, however, criticised what he described as the “curious theatrical deployment of ecclesiastical authority” at the Abuja gathering of the group. According to him, individuals under the umbrella of the CBCN assembled in what appeared to be coordinated episcopal regalia and, in the presence of government officials, made political pronouncements in support of their preferred presidential candidate. Ejiofor said he did not question the constitutional right of any Nigerian, including clergy, to support or vote for a candidate of their choice. “What I find profoundly disturbing, however, is the manner in which ecclesiastical identity and the symbolic authority of the episcopacy were apparently mobilised and deployed as an instrument of partisan political endorsement, particularly at a time when the formal electioneering campaign has not even commenced,” he said.
He said he struggled to identify any substantive ecclesiastical agenda during the event beyond what appeared to be the adoption and public endorsement of the APC presidential candidate for the 2027 election, alongside commendations of the administration’s achievements. Ejiofor said while the participants were entitled to their assessment of the government, there was a distinction between individual Christians exercising their civic rights and an ecclesiastical institution or persons presenting themselves with episcopal authority using the Church’s influence for partisan political mobilisation. He also questioned the ecclesiastical credentials of some participants at the gathering, saying he did not recognise any properly ordained bishops from established and widely recognised ecclesiastical traditions. Ejiofor said he was told that episcopal regalia had allegedly been distributed ahead of the event, although he stressed that he did not personally witness such an occurrence. He said the development raised questions about the use of episcopal identity and authority for political purposes.
“Perhaps, I should commend one thing without reservation: the tailor evidently understood his assignment. The regalia appeared to have received an impressive finishing,” he said, while making light of the appearance of some of the participants. However, he said the issue went beyond the appearance of the regalia to the more serious question of what would happen to the moral authority of the Church if ecclesiastical endorsement became available for partisan political purposes. “The Church occupies a unique moral space in society. Its authority is not derived from political office, governmental patronage, party structures or electoral arithmetic. Its influence flows principally from the confidence reposed in it as a moral and spiritual institution,” he said. Ejiofor maintained that clergy members were entitled to personal political preferences, noting that they remained citizens with civic rights.
“But the pulpit is not a political rally. Episcopal vestments are not party uniforms. The altar is not a campaign podium and ecclesiastical authority must never become a substitute for democratic persuasion,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria was approaching another intensely contested electoral season and that the wounds created by the weaponisation of ethnicity and religion in previous political contests had yet to fully heal. He therefore urged political and religious leaders to exercise caution and avoid actions that could deepen existing divisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
