Charismatic Bishops Back Tinubu, Urge Peace Ahead Of 2027
With Nigeria’s next election already shaping political conversations, the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has pledged its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while urging political and religious leaders to put national unity above partisan interests.
The bishops’ position emerged at the conference’s 2026 synod, where President-General Archbishop Bature Kawas praised Tinubu’s handling of religious representation, security and economic reforms.
Kawas said the bishops had initially raised concerns over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2023 but later found reassurance in the President’s appointments, particularly the choice of Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other Christians in key positions.
He said the conference would support the administration through prayers, advocacy and constructive engagement, while calling for greater recognition of the role churches play in supporting Nigerians facing hardship.
“People do not first cry to government when they have problems.
They run to the church,” Kawas said, urging government to empower faith-based organisations to expand their humanitarian and social interventions.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a keynote address, defended the administration’s reforms, saying rising foreign reserves, declining inflation and increased investor confidence showed that the economy was beginning to stabilise.
He acknowledged the hardship caused by the reforms but said the government’s objective remained to translate macroeconomic gains into jobs, affordable food, infrastructure and improved living standards.
Representing President Tinubu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, urged the bishops to use their pulpits to promote peace and responsible citizenship ahead of the 2027 elections.
He called on religious leaders to reject hate speech, vote-buying and the weaponisation of religion and ethnicity, warning that elections should never become a struggle for survival.
“Elections will come and go, but Nigeria must remain,” Akume said.
The three speakers also highlighted the Church’s wider role in youth empowerment, education, humanitarian work, peace-building and combating misinformation.
The key message from the gathering was that Nigeria’s reforms may be contested, and the 2027 election will generate fierce political competition, but neither should be allowed to deepen the religious and ethnic divisions threatening the country’s cohesion.
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