By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, while the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged religious leaders to promote peace, national unity and responsible democratic participation ahead of the polls.
Idris made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the Grand Finale of the 2026 Synod of the CBCN and the International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles (ICCABA), held at the National Christian Centre.
The Minister said preserving Nigeria’s unity required responsible leadership across all sectors, including religious institutions.
“Keeping this country united requires more than government action. It requires responsible leadership across society, including religious leadership,” he said.
Idris reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting religious freedom, stressing that Christians, Muslims and adherents of other faiths must be able to worship and live peacefully without discrimination.
He cautioned against portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious conflict, noting that terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians across different faiths and backgrounds.
According to him, the Tinubu administration has strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, military operations and the wider national security architecture. He said approximately 1,000 terrorist elements, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated in the first quarter of 2026.
The Minister also cited the August rescue of 308 abducted Nigerians in Niger and Kwara states as evidence of the continued efforts of security agencies.
He urged religious leaders to strengthen social cohesion, steer young people away from radicalization and criminality, support community early-warning mechanisms and promote dialogue as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
“No election should be allowed to turn Christian against Muslim, Muslim against Christian, North against South, or one ethnic group against another. Nigeria belongs to all of us,” Idris said.
He further urged religious leaders to ensure that their pulpits remained platforms for truth, peace and responsible citizenship rather than incitement and division.
On the economy, Idris said the Federal Government was implementing reforms while expanding opportunities for young Nigerians through programmes including NELFUND, 3MTT, NYIF, NATEP, SVCG, SUPA and iDICE.
“Nigeria’s greatest resource is not only what lies beneath our soil. It is also the talent and ability of our people,” he said.
The Minister called on churches and other faith-based organizations to deepen their contributions to education, healthcare, skills development, youth empowerment, humanitarian services and community development.
CBCN declares support for Tinubu
At the event, CBCN President General, Archbishop Prof. Leonard Bature Kawas, announced the Conference’s endorsement of President Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
Kawas said the Church had reviewed the administration’s policies and record, describing its position as support for what he considered efforts to promote national development and inclusivity.
“We support him now. We support him today, we support him tomorrow, and we support him for as long as he’s willing to be our president,” Kawas said.
He subsequently declared: “This house has endorsed him for the 2027 presidency.”
Representing President Tinubu at the gathering, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, commended the Church for its prayers, humanitarian interventions and contributions to peace, national cohesion and moral formation.
Akume acknowledged the sacrifices Nigerians had made during the ongoing economic reforms, assuring citizens that the government remained committed to improving household incomes, reducing hardship and ensuring that the benefits of the reforms were increasingly felt across the country.
“We commend our citizens for their patriotism and resilience, and assure them that it will never be in vain, as promised by Mr. President himself,” he said.
The SGF also called for stronger collaboration between government and the Church in tackling Nigeria’s security and development challenges, particularly in youth empowerment, education, peacebuilding, civic responsibility and humanitarian service.
“The government needs the moral reach of the Church, and the Church needs an enabling civic environment to thrive. Above all, Nigeria needs us to work together for the common good,” Akume said.
He assured the gathering that the government welcomed the Church’s prayers, counsel, constructive criticism and partnership in advancing national development.
