Nigerian clerics under the aegis of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) on Wednesday expressed support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
The President-General of CBCN, Archbishop Leonard Kawas, made the declaration at the 2026 National Charismatic Bishops Synod/Awards of Excellence in Leadership to Exceptional Guests in Abuja.
Kawas said the endorsement was based on what he described as Tinubu’s achievements in appointments and efforts towards ensuring diversity and balance in his administration.
He said that the Christian community had expressed concerns when Tinubu selected a fellow Muslim as his running mate ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
He, however, said the situation began to change when Tinubu started announcing appointments into key positions in his administration.
The CBCN president-general said that the appointment of Sen. George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation was significant to the Christian community.
He described Akume as a Christian who was respected and loved by members of the Christian community.
Kawas said the appointment helped to reduce the tension that had characterised the early period of the administration.
He further said that several other key appointments were made to Christians in strategic sectors of the government.
He also cited the appointment of a Christian as Minister of Defence as another development that encouraged the Christian community.
Kawas said the appointment was particularly significant because the defence portfolio was a sensitive position that Christians had not held for long.
He further expressed excitement over the emergence of a Christian preacher as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He described the development as historic, saying it was the first time in many years that a Christian had occupied the position in the ruling party.
“Based on these realities, we are standing with him. We are supporting now. We are supporting tomorrow, and we are supporting for as long as he is willing to be our President,” he said,
Kawas said the CBCN would continue to support Tinubu as the country approached the 2027 general elections.
Declaring the synod open, Tinubu, who was represented by Akume, urged religious leaders to strengthen their roles in peace-building and national security.
He said religious leaders occupied an important position in preventing and managing conflicts because of their influence as social mobilisers and peace-building actors.
According to him, the church must make peace-building an integral part of national security efforts.
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Tinubu urged religious leaders to build bridges across denominations and faiths, particularly by helping young people resist extremist recruitment, political violence and hate speech.
He also called for stronger community-based early warning networks and support for victims of violence.
The President said the responsibility of religious leaders had become more urgent as Nigeria approached the 2027 general election cycle.
“Elections will come and go, but Nigeria must remain,” Tinubu said.
He urged the bishops to play a decisive role in protecting national unity.
He called on them to encourage peaceful participation in elections and speak against anti-democratic practices, hate speech and the weaponisation of ethnicity and religion.
Tinubu also urged religious leaders to demand issue-based campaigns and caution political actors against placing personal ambitions above national peace and interest.
He said that elections should remain contests for public office and must not be allowed to degenerate into wars for survival.
The President urged the bishops to use the synod to develop strategies for stronger collaboration among government, religious institutions and communities.
He said such collaboration could be strengthened in areas like youth empowerment, education, peace-building, civic responsibility and humanitarian services.
Also speaking, Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, called for peace and unity in the country.
The First Lady, who was represented by Bishop Stephen Adegbite, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos State, described peace and unity as essential to the nation’s development.
She urged Nigerians to reject war, crisis and pandemonium, saying political campaigns and elections should be conducted peacefully and citizens should be allowed to vote for candidates of their choice.
She also expressed support for government initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which she said was helping families meet their children’s education needs.(NAN)
