As 2027 approaches, religion is becoming increasingly visible in Nigeria's political space. Kalu Okoronkwo, a good governance advocate, explores how sermons and prophecies may affect voting patterns and why personal choice at the polls remains crucial.
Religion as a Political Influence Tool in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the most consequential political battles are not always fought on campaign podiums. Sometimes, power struggles are waged quietly from the pulpit, wrapped in sermons, prophetic declarations, and coded spiritual language that seeps into the subconscious of millions of voters. During election seasons, religion often transcends faith to become a formidable instrument of influence, emotional persuasion, and psychological conditioning in the contest for political power. Beneath echoes of "Amen" and prophetic utterances, political loyalties are shaped, public emotions manipulated, and entire voting populations subtly programmed before the first ballot is cast.
Recent events highlight this troubling development. As Nigeria inches toward 2027, the nation is entering a dangerous season where religion becomes entangled with political calculations. Sermons are changing, prophecies multiplying, and spiritual programmes becoming politically suggestive. Influential clerics are stepping into national political discourse not merely as moral voices but as actors capable of shaping electoral outcomes.
In late 2025, a controversial dispute emerged involving Primate Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Lagos State and then Minister of Power Bayo Adelabu. The cleric was accused of attempting to extort 150 million naira from the minister for spiritual intercession concerning the 2027 Oyo State governorship election. Adelabu reportedly petitioned the Department of State Services, alleging that Ayodele demanded the sum, along with 24 APC flags and 1,000 trumpets, to secure electoral victory.
Why Politicians Fear Religious Influence in Nigeria
Religion in Nigeria is not merely about belief; it is power, identity, and emotional influence. This is why politicians fear the pulpit almost as much as the ballot box. Nigerian politicians understand that millions of citizens may doubt politicians but rarely doubt their pastors, prophets, or imams. A politician must campaign for trust; a cleric already possesses it. In a deeply religious society burdened by poverty, insecurity, and hopelessness, spiritual authority often carries more emotional weight than public policy.
This intersection between faith and politics raises troubling questions: What should be the role of spiritual fathers in political matters? Should clerics remain silent while society collapses under bad leadership? Or have some religious leaders dangerously transformed the altar into an extension of political machinery? The debate is neither simple nor new. Both the Bible and the Quran acknowledge the moral responsibility of spiritual leaders in matters affecting society and governance.
Prophets, Scriptures, and the Question of Moral Authority
In the Bible, Prophet Nathan confronted King David over abuse of power and moral failure. Elijah stood before Ahab and Jezebel, condemning wicked leadership and national corruption. Moses challenged Pharaoh's oppressive system and demanded liberation for suffering people. John the Baptist publicly criticized King Herod's immoral conduct despite personal danger. Jesus Christ, though cautious about political manipulation, never ignored societal injustice. He confronted exploitative religious systems, challenged hypocrisy among leaders, and defended the oppressed. Christ established a moral balance when He declared, "Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and unto God what belongs to God"—a warning against the dangerous fusion of spiritual authority and political domination.
The Quran equally presents examples of spiritual leadership confronting political injustice. Prophet Musa challenged Pharaoh's tyranny, while Prophet Ibrahim stood against corrupt authority. Islamic teachings consistently emphasize justice, accountability, and the moral duty to oppose oppression. In both Christianity and Islam, spiritual leadership carries a responsibility to defend truth, justice, and human dignity. However, there is a critical difference between moral guidance and political manipulation, and that distinction is where Nigeria's crisis lies.
Nigeria's History of Clerical Political Influence
Over the years, Nigeria has witnessed the rise of highly influential clerics whose political pronouncements shaped public opinion and electoral outcomes. Few figures symbolize this more dramatically than Father Ejike Mbaka. At the peak of his influence, Mbaka's prophecies became national political events. In 2015, his fierce criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan and endorsement of Muhammadu Buhari mobilized Christian voters who interpreted his position as divinely inspired. Years later, as economic hardship and insecurity worsened under Buhari, Mbaka became one of the government's vocal critics. The same spiritual authority that legitimized political hope eventually amplified public disappointment.
During the 2020 Imo State governorship crisis, Mbaka predicted that Senator Hope Uzodinma would emerge governor, a prediction that later materialized through a Supreme Court judgment. In 2023, allegations emerged that the failure of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi to financially support Mbaka's Adoration Ministry influenced the cleric's prediction that Obi would lose the presidential election. Mbaka, suspended by the Catholic Church in 2022 and sent to a monastery over concerns about political manipulation from the altar, has consistently denied that his prophecies are politically motivated, insisting they are divine revelations. These episodes exposed the dangerous consequences of clerical political endorsements, where public trust in both democracy and religion suffers when governance fails.
Tunde Bakare remains one of Nigeria's most openly political clerics. Unlike pastors who operate through symbolic prophecy, Bakare stepped directly into partisan politics as Buhari's running mate in 2011. Through sermons and national broadcasts, he positioned himself as both spiritual leader and political commentator. Bakare represents the evolution of the Nigerian cleric from moral observer to ideological participant. Supporters view him as courageous, while critics argue his political involvement reflects how easily the pulpit drifts into partisan territory.
The 2023 Elections and Religious Controversy
The pulpit is no longer influencing politics from a moral distance; it is becoming an active arena of political calculation. The 2023 elections revealed this reality more sharply than any period in Nigeria's democratic history. In the build-up to the elections, the controversial "arranged bishops" episode emerged. Men dressed in clerical attire appeared at the unveiling of Kashim Shettima as the vice-presidential candidate to Bola Tinubu in Abuja. These supposed bishops were widely perceived as actors recruited to create the impression of Christian support for the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Religious identity became one of the most emotionally charged dimensions of political debate. The controversy surrounding the Muslim-Muslim ticket exposed the fragile intersection between faith, representation, and political power. Across the country, clerics expressed concerns, endorsements, and warnings that shaped national conversations beyond worship centers.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, occupies a unique position in Nigeria's political psychology. Though often restrained in public commentary, his enormous spiritual influence means even slight statements carry national implications. When clerics of such stature speak ambiguously about "God's chosen leader" during election seasons, many followers subconsciously interpret democratic participation through divine lenses. This can weaken civic responsibility by making electoral outcomes appear spiritually predetermined rather than democratically earned.
Similarly, Matthew Ashimolowo has made politically loaded observations capable of shaping public psychology. Statements acknowledging a candidate's competence while suggesting inevitable defeat may appear harmless but can psychologically weaken voter morale. This is how weaponized religion often functions—not through direct endorsement but through emotional conditioning.
When Religion Becomes Political Manipulation
The danger is not that religious leaders speak about national affairs. Silence in moments of injustice can be moral failure. The deeper concern arises when spiritual authority manipulates political emotions to discourage critical thinking, civic participation, and democratic responsibility. Jesus Christ did not compel political loyalty through fear or emotional coercion; He emphasized truth, compassion, justice, and free moral choice. Even in biblical history, God consistently allowed human beings the dignity and consequences of choice. From Israel's demand for kings despite prophetic warnings to Judas's betrayal, scripture demonstrates free will. Human beings make decisions, and societies live with the consequences.
Nigeria today is the product of choices. Bad leadership, corruption, and silence result from choices. Meaningful change will also emerge from choices. God will not descend from heaven to cast ballots; Nigerians will. That is why psychological messaging from parts of the religious space deserves scrutiny. When citizens are repeatedly conditioned to believe change is impossible, resistance weakens before democratic participation begins.
The Danger of Surrendering Democratic Choice
When economic performance can no longer defend itself—fuel prices soar, food inflation deepens, businesses collapse, and public frustration intensifies—political actors turn toward emotional management. If citizens cannot be persuaded materially, they may be subdued psychologically. Religion becomes a useful instrument because it speaks directly to fear, hope, and emotional dependence. This does not mean every pastor or imam speaking on politics is compromised. Many sincere clerics genuinely desire national healing and justice. Some have courageously confronted oppression and defended democratic values at great personal risk. Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah stands out here. For decades, Kukah has spoken out against bad leadership, corruption, and injustice, championing good governance in Nigeria and leading civil society groups demanding people-centered leadership.
As 2027 approaches, Nigerians must learn to separate genuine spiritual guidance from politically weaponized religious influences. Faith should inspire conscience, wisdom, and justice, not emotional surrender, political fatalism, or democratic apathy. The future of Nigeria cannot be outsourced entirely to prophets, marabouts, or spiritual authorities. Democracy demands participation, vigilance, and independent judgment. Ultimately, the ballot box remains not only a political responsibility but also a moral expression of the kind of nation citizens choose to build. No prophecy can permanently replace the power of informed individual choice.
Kalu Okoronkwo is a communications strategist and good governance advocate dedicated to impactful societal development.
