Catholic priest leads congregation in song endorsing Peter Obi, Kwankwaso

A Catholic priest has been filmed leading a congregation in a song endorsing Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, during a church service.

A video clip showing the cleric as he led worshippers in the song, which was rendered in the Igbo language, has been circulating on X.

“NDC, NDC Ka mma. Party Peter Obi ka mma; Party Kwankwaso, ka mma!,” the congregation, led by the cleric, sang in Igbo language.

The song says the NDC, Messrs Obi and Kwankwaso’s party, is a better political platform.

The clip, circulating since Sunday, showed that the incident occurred in a Catholic church building.

However, the Catholic parish where the incident happened and the priest’s identity had not been ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

Given that the congregants sang the song in Igbo, there is an indication that the Catholic church is in the South-east where Mr Obi hails from.

Religious leaders in politics

As the 2027 general elections approach, religious leaders are becoming increasingly vocal about supporting or disapproving of candidates.

While some openly condemn certain candidates, others have publicly endorsed their preferred contenders.

In August, for instance, prominent Islamic cleric Sani Jingir backed APC’s controversial Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, asking Muslims to vote for the ticket despite criticism against it.

During a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, Mr Jingir urged Muslims to vote in large numbers to demonstrate their numerical strength in the country.

President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima are Muslims.

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Messrs Tinubu and Shettima are seeking re-election in the 2027 election under the APC platform.

Although not formally codified, Nigeria has long observed an informal political agreement to balance presidential tickets along religious lines, typically pairing a Muslim presidential candidate with a Christian running mate, or vice versa.

In early September, the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) endorsed President Tinubu for a second term, citing his support for the Christian faith through appointments and endorsement of Christian state governors.

The bishops endorsed Mr Tinubu during the CBCN’s 2026 synod, held in Abuja.

The synod was attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.