Nigerians React to Bishops Supporting Tinubu for 2027 Election

Some Nigerians are sharing their thoughts on the Charismatic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria’s recent backing of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election for the 2027 general election.

President Tinubu, who will finish his first four-year term on 29 May, is running for re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election scheduled for 16 January.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the president and 17 other candidates from different political parties for the election.

During the 2026 Synod of the Charismatics Bishop Conference of Nigeria and International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles (ICCABA) held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, last Sunday, the archbishops voiced their support for Mr Tinubu’s re-election. They pointed to the president’s backing of the Christian faith through appointments and support for Christian state governors.

“The president did not only appoint at the national level, but he also supported the emergence of Christian governors to be the majority in Nigeria. He has stood with Christianity alongside his wife.

“We stand with the president today and as long as he’s willing to be our president and even come in 2027, we will be standing with him. On this, this house has endorsed him for the 2027 presidency,” Leonard Kawas, an archbishop and CBCN president general, stated during the synod’s closing event.

The conference gathered Christian leaders to discuss peace, national unity, religious freedom, security, good governance, and the church’s role in national development.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, represented Mr Tinubu at the event.

But the endorsement from the Christian leaders has drawn criticism from some Nigerians. They argue that the bishops should stay out of politics, while others have called them fake.

In a press statement, Elijah Ayodele, a primate and leader of the Inry Evangelical Spiritual Church, claimed that the bishops who supported President Tinubu for a second term were not motivated by divine guidance but by a desire for appointments or closeness to power.

In the statement released by his media aide, the cleric warned the president not to be too pleased with the endorsement, calling it fake.

A Catholic priest using the username @Frjames on X also remarked, “It’s not God that led you, money did!”

Human Rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, reacted to a viral video on X, saying, “Religious leaders have a duty to respect the sanctity of their institutions and must not allow themselves to be used as a political tool.”

Another user on X, with the handle @Sports_Doctor2, suggested that Mr Kawas’s statement arose from his issues with Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“His problem with Peter Obi is not that he’s not credible; it’s because he refused to pay him for supporting him. This shows you he’s being paid to support whoever he’s supporting now,” the user wrote.

On the other hand, some Nigerians praised the religious leaders’ decision.

Lere Olayinka, spokesperson for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, said the backlash against Mr Kawas came because he stopped backing Mr Obi.

“He wasn’t a fake bishop; he became a fake bishop when he stopped supporting their ‘fake man.’ Bishop Kawas is facing what everyone who is not supporting Peter Obi is facing.”

Another user on YouTube with the username @Portablesminary-kg5wq said, “The charismatic has spoken. If you don’t believe them because of your candidate, then that is your problem. You would have felt better if they had chosen your candidate. What a hypocrite!”

In 2022, during the launch of Kashim Shettima as running mate to the APC presidential candidate in Abuja, some Christian clerics were present, causing doubts about their credibility.

Some Christian groups viewed the presence of these clerics as a way to legitimize the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Both President Tinubu and Mr Shettima are Muslims.

Several Christian associations opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket, calling it a part of the “Islamisation agenda” by the ruling party.

Meanwhile, days after the Synod, Mr Kawas and the conference Secretary General, Chivir Chianson, defended their endorsement of Mr Tinubu for a second term.

In an interview on ARISE TV on Saturday, the archbishop responded to critics, asserting they are not fake.

“For those who say we are fake bishops, I didn’t just become a bishop today. I’ve been a bishop for over 25 years; I’ve been an archbishop for 14 years. My archbishopric is internationally recognised because I live in Washington DC,” Mr Kawas, who leads the Abuja-based World Harvest Ministries, said.

He also addressed critics who mentioned his conflicts with Mr Obi.

He said, “People call me fake, yet I supported Peter Obi at the initial stage of his presidential ambition and went with him everywhere in Nigeria. He never paid me. He never asked me how I came to the campaign; he would just see me there. Yet I did it, and nobody called me fake.”

He added, “It is unheard of for anybody to think that just because I am a bishop, I should have no interest in politics. God requires us to understand that He told us right from Genesis when He created man in verse 26, that the first assignment given to a man was to have dominion in this world. To have dominion means to be in charge. The Bible says when the righteous rule, the people rejoice. It is very painful that Christians have sat back, folded their hands, and said politics is a dirty game.”

Mr Kawas also mentioned that his past concerns about the Muslim-Muslim ticket have changed, showing that leadership quality is what truly matters.

“I will hold nothing back when telling the president the truth; we were the ones that called on him to look into the matter when people were dying en masse in Benue State,” he said.

He expressed disappointment at Primate Elijah’s comments, saying, “I am seriously disappointed at Primate Elijah; he should have known better.”

Mr Chianson added that the bishops’ views came from the progress made by Tinubu’s administration in its first term.

“Nigeria has been doing a lot better, especially in 2026 under his watch; our GDP has been growing. The unemployment rate has dropped as well. Unlike the previous government, diversity was badly mismanaged. Now he has restored our hopes, especially those of us from the Christian community,” he said in the interview with Arise Television.

Mr Chianson also pointed out that Mr Akume’s appointment as SGF was a significant change.

He argued that, upon closer examination of key ministries, the administration ensured every ethnic group was represented in important appointments, unlike the previous government, where one ethnic group dominated such roles.

“He (Tinubu) will win, and he’s not only going to win; he will perform even better,” Mr Chianson stated.