2027: Church must not become electoral machinery – Fayemi

Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said that while Christians may belong to different political parties and support different political strategies, the church must not become an electoral machinery for any political party.

Fayemi spoke on Saturday while addressing the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria plenary in Osogbo, Osun State, on the theme, “Faith in Action: Empowering the Catholic Laity for Active Political Participation Ahead of the 2027 General Election.”

Speaking on the role of Catholics in politics, Fayemi said it was not to impose a Christian theocracy but to transform society by putting their faith into action rather than submitting to blind loyalty based on ethnicity or religion.

Fayemi said, “The role of a Catholic in politics is not to impose a Christian theocracy. Conversion by coercion is not part of our political engagement. The 2002 Doctrinal Note recognises the legitimate autonomy of the political sphere and makes clear that the church does not prescribe one specific political solution to every temporal question.

“This implies that Catholics may legitimately belong to different political parties and support different political strategies, provided these are compatible with faith and the moral law.

“The church cannot become an electoral machinery for any political party.”

As the 2027 elections approach, the former governor stressed that it was imperative for Catholics to participate in politics, but said such participation should not be driven by “ethnicity, religion, personal financial gain, political patronage, friendship, family connections, fear, misinformation or blind loyalty to political parties.”

Rather, he said Christians should align with candidates whose policies were most capable of “advancing human dignity, justice, peace, security, development and the common good.”

He admonished, “Catholics must approach the 2027 elections bearing in mind that our political and electoral choices have huge consequences for the common good and well-being of society.

“We must, therefore, not lose sight of the church’s consistent teaching that our participation in political and electoral processes is not merely a civic responsibility but also an opportunity to promote, protect, and advance the common good.”

He urged Christians to look out for candidates with concrete plans to address poverty, unemployment, education, healthcare, security, justice and the vulnerable.

“As the election draws close, every political programme must be judged by how it affects human beings. This implies that the laity should pay particular attention to how these programmes affect poverty, unemployment, education, healthcare, security, justice, the family and the vulnerable.

“For Catholics, these are moral issues and as such our political participation must be to address them,” Fayemi said.

He bemoaned rampant vote-buying, urging the church to greatly sensitise parishioners on the dangers of vote-buying and its consequences for their future.

He noted that with vote-buying, elections became an investment for politicians who would assume office with the intention of recouping their money, leaving the electorate scrambling for crumbs.

Rather than seek immediate gains, Fayemi urged restraint, saying the people should instead be keen on evaluating those elected into office to determine their fate going forward.

Fayemi said, “One of the greatest problems confronting Nigerian politics is the transactional relationship between politicians and citizens. A politician distributes money during elections and expects votes in return. Citizens sometimes demand immediate personal benefits from politicians rather than evaluating their capacity to govern.

“This creates a dangerous vicious cycle. The politician sees public office as an investment. The citizen sees the election as an opportunity for personal gain. The common good disappears. As we approach the 2027 general elections, the Catholic political formation must challenge this culture.

“The church must design a strategy to educate the laity on the dangers of vote-buying and the harm it does not only to our democratic process but also to the future and wellbeing of our society.”

He also cautioned against notions that politics was a dirty game and that participation ended with casting votes.

He urged increased participation, warning that when people of good conscience stood aloof, they allowed unprincipled opportunists into public office.

“Public office is too serious to be left to people who have no fear of God. When serious Catholics committed to the ideals of social justice and the common good turn away from politics, we open the door for unprincipled opportunists to take power.

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“Our understanding of politics must not be restricted to the pursuit of votes in a partisan system. It must mean much more, including public engagement and debate that is informed, non-sentimental and objective.

“Nigerian Catholics must not surrender politics to those who do not share their commitment to human dignity, justice and the common good,” he said.

Fayemi’s call on the church followed the controversy that trailed the July 28, 2026, meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where the bishops raised concerns over insecurity, economic hardship, poverty and the political climate ahead of the 2027 elections.

Tinubu reportedly disagreed with their assessment of the country’s situation and the alleged bias by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The disagreement became public after Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who attended the meeting, disclosed details of the encounter in an interview with ARISE News, prompting the Presidency to rebuke him for publicly discussing what it described as a closed-door engagement.

The row later widened into a debate over the church’s political role and the neutrality of electoral institutions ahead of the 2027 election.

Speaking at the opening session of the second plenary meeting, the President of CBCN, Most Rev Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, on Sunday, charged Nigerians against trading their votes in the 2027 general elections.

Ndagoso, who is the Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, noted increasing feelings of disenchantment over fears of the possible manipulation of the electoral process and urged INEC to ensure a credible poll.

According to him, the distrust of the process and the fear that votes may not count may actually lower voter turnout, saying INEC must work hard to deliver free, fair, and credible elections.

“This should place our country on the path of international respect and integrity. There is a need to ensure that voters’ cards are easily available to all eligible voters,

removing any obstacles and helping to culminate in election results that reflect the true choice of the people.

“Anything short of transparent, free, fair and credible elections in 2027 would be a serious disservice to our country,” he said.

The CBCN President, who also implored the political class to act in line with Nigeria’s national interest, called upon all eligible voters to come out in large numbers and vote for candidates of their choice.

He commended INEC for the recent conduct of the Osun State off-season election, which the clergy said was adjudged to be free and fair by election observers and analysts.

“What happened in Osun elections has given a glimmer of hope and confidence to many Nigerians. We hope it is a good sign of better things to come in the 2027 general elections.

“Consequently, we call upon the Lay faithful to step into the public square armed with a well-informed conscience.

“We call upon and encourage our lay faithful and indeed all people of goodwill to reject vote-selling and buying, resist the temptation of political cronyism and cynicism.

“In this, the good people of Osun State are a shining example, and we thank them for being good pacesetters.

“You came out, voted and guarded your votes to ensure that they count, and they counted. It happened in Osun; it can happen elsewhere and everywhere in our country,” he added.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in his address at the event read by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, acknowledged the importance of the Catholic Church, the Papacy and this conference to peace and development of the world and Nigeria in particular.

He commended the huge contributions of the Catholic Church to the educational and health development of the country, saying, “In the history of this federation, the Catholic Church has earned an impressive place as a driver of enlightenment through education and health facilitation, through human capacity development and through peace building across the society.”