FG to Religious Leaders: Keep 2027 Politics Free of Religious Hostility
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged religious leaders to ensure that political competition ahead of the 2027 general elections does not degenerate into religious hostility, hate speech or violence.
Idris made the call on Wednesday at the grand finale of the 2026 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria and the International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles in Abuja.
He said religious leaders had a critical role to play in preserving national unity, given their influence over millions of Nigerians and their ability to shape public opinion within their communities.
According to him, religious leaders have the right, as citizens, to hold political opinions and support candidates of their choice, but political disagreements must not be allowed to become religious conflicts.
“Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees every citizen the freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” Idris said, stressing that Christians, Muslims and adherents of other faiths must be able to worship freely without discrimination or attack.
The minister warned against attempts to turn Nigeria’s political contests into conflicts between Christians and Muslims, or between different ethnic and regional groups.
He urged religious leaders to encourage Nigerians to assess the records and programmes of political candidates, participate peacefully in the democratic process and accept legitimate electoral outcomes.
“No election should be allowed to turn Christian against Muslim, Muslim against Christian, North against South, or one ethnic group against another,” he said.
Idris also cautioned religious leaders against spreading misinformation, hate speech and messages capable of inflaming communities, noting that statements from respected voices could either calm tensions or worsen them.
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On security, the minister said the Federal Government had strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, military operations and international partnerships under President Bola Tinubu.
He said cooperation with the United States and other friendly countries covered intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism, training, defence and border security.
Idris said terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines, warning that their activities should not be wrongly portrayed as a religious war.
He disclosed that security forces had continued to put pressure on terrorist and criminal networks across the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.
According to him, about 1,000 terrorist elements, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated in the first quarter of 2026, while 308 abducted Nigerians were rescued in Niger and Kwara states in August through a coordinated operation involving the Armed Forces, Department of State Services and Nigeria Police Force.
The minister also urged religious organisations to deepen their contribution to youth empowerment, skills development, education, healthcare and humanitarian support.
He said programmes such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, 3 Million Technical Talent programme, Nigeria Youth Investment Fund, National Youth Talent Export Programme, Student Venture Capital Grant, Skill-Up Artisans Programme and Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises were part of government’s broader effort to equip young Nigerians and expand economic opportunities.
Idris said the country’s greatest resource was its people, urging religious leaders to encourage entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, discipline and respect for the dignity of work.
He described nation-building as a shared responsibility involving government, citizens, religious and traditional leaders, the private sector, the media and civil society.
As the 2027 elections approach, the minister urged Nigerians to protect the country’s unity and peace, stressing that elections were only moments in the life of a nation while Nigeria would endure beyond individual electoral cycles, governments and political parties.
By PRNigeria
