politicians and pastors in Nigeria
LAGOS, Nigeria — Leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned pastors and other religious leaders against allowing themselves to become political tools, arguing that Nigerian politicians are capable of abandoning clerics after securing the support they need.
The outspoken cleric’s intervention comes as political activities and alignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election, a period traditionally characterised by increased engagement between politicians, influential religious leaders and other opinion shapers.
Speaking in a recent video, Ayodele argued that the relationship between politicians and pastors in Nigeria is not always driven by genuine friendship or shared convictions.
According to him, religious leaders can also become victims of the familiar “use and dump” politics often associated with political alliances.
| politicians and pastors in Nigeria |
His warning appears directed particularly at pastors and other individuals who publicly promote politicians or attach themselves closely to political interests.
Ayodele’s central argument is that religious leaders should not assume that access to powerful politicians guarantees lasting influence or loyalty.
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Ayodele Warns Pastors Over Political Relationships
The cleric said pastors should exercise caution when dealing with politicians, maintaining that political actors can abandon religious figures once their immediate objectives have been achieved.
His comments bring renewed attention to the sometimes complicated relationship between politicians and pastors in Nigeria, particularly during election seasons.
Nigeria is one of Africa’s most religious societies, and churches, mosques and religious organisations command considerable social influence.
Political figures frequently attend religious gatherings, meet influential clerics and seek prayers as elections approach.
There is nothing inherently unusual about politicians interacting with religious leaders. Public officials and candidates are citizens who are entitled to practise their faith and engage religious communities.
The more difficult question arises when spiritual influence becomes entangled with partisan politics.
Ayodele’s warning suggests that pastors who become deeply involved in promoting individual politicians may discover that political relationships are often governed more by immediate interests than permanent loyalty.
‘Use and Dump’ Politics
The phrase “use and dump” is familiar in Nigerian political discourse.
It generally describes relationships in which political actors seek the assistance, influence, resources or loyalty of individuals and groups during a particular political struggle, only to distance themselves from those allies once the objective has been achieved.
Ayodele argues that religious leaders are not immune from that treatment.
His remarks suggest that politicians and pastors in Nigeria can enter relationships in which both sides have expectations, but those expectations may not survive once an election has been won or political circumstances change.
The cleric’s message is therefore broader than a complaint about individual politicians.
It raises questions about whether religious leaders should become active promoters of political candidates in the first place.
Pastors occupy positions of considerable trust among their congregations. A political endorsement from the pulpit can therefore carry implications far beyond the personal voting preference of an individual cleric.
2027 Election Brings Church-Politics Relationship Into Focus
The warning comes at a particularly important time.
Nigeria’s next general election is scheduled for 2027, and political manoeuvring is already gathering momentum.
President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress are preparing for the electoral contest, while opposition politicians continue to debate alliances, platforms and strategies for challenging the governing party.
Against that background, the relationship between politicians and pastors in Nigeria is likely to attract greater attention as the election approaches.
Political candidates understand the influence religious organisations exercise.
A large congregation represents not merely a religious community but potentially thousands of voters, families and social networks.
This makes prominent religious leaders attractive to politicians seeking wider acceptance.
The challenge for churches and their leaders is maintaining the distinction between legitimate civic engagement and partisan mobilisation.
Religious organisations have every right to discuss governance, justice, poverty, corruption, security and other national issues.
But openly transforming religious authority into a campaign instrument can create problems for both the institution and its members.
Pastors Must Guard Their Independence
Ayodele’s warning can also be interpreted as a call for greater independence among religious leaders.
If politicians and pastors in Nigeria become too closely connected, there is a risk that religious institutions may find it difficult to speak critically about those in power.
A pastor who openly campaigns for a candidate, for example, may later face questions about whether he can objectively criticise that politician after an election victory.
That is why institutional independence matters.
Religious leaders can engage politicians without becoming politically dependent on them.
They can pray for leaders without endorsing every government decision.
They can speak about elections without telling congregants whom they must support.
And they can demand accountability from public officials regardless of which political party controls government.
That separation helps preserve the moral authority religious institutions require when confronting injustice or failures of governance.
Ayodele No Stranger to Political Commentary
Primate Ayodele has become well known for commenting regularly on Nigerian politics and issuing predictions concerning elections, political parties and individual politicians.
In his prophecies for 2026, the INRI leader spoke extensively about President Tinubu, opposition politicians, political betrayal, protests, security and the expected battle ahead of the 2027 general election.
He has also commented on opposition political movements and the prospects of various politicians ahead of 2027.
His interventions, however, have not escaped criticism.
In June 2026, lawyer and public commentator Ifeanyi Ejiofor criticised Ayodele’s political predictions, arguing that such pronouncements were becoming difficult to distinguish from conventional political commentary.
That criticism provides important context.
Ayodele’s latest statement about politicians and pastors in Nigeria should therefore be reported as his opinion and warning, not as an established description of every politician or every pastor.
The distinction is fundamental to responsible journalism.
Religion Remains Influential in Nigerian Elections
Religion and politics have long intersected in Nigeria.
Presidential candidates frequently visit churches and mosques, consult religious leaders and participate in religious programmes.
Religious identity can also become part of political debate.
The controversy surrounding the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 election demonstrated how strongly religion can feature in national electoral discussions.
Yet Nigeria’s Constitution also guarantees freedom of religion and establishes a political system in which citizens are entitled to make electoral choices regardless of religious affiliation.
For politicians and pastors in Nigeria, the challenge is therefore to engage in national affairs without turning houses of worship into extensions of political campaign organisations.
A pastor can encourage members to register to vote.
A church can organise discussions about governance.
Religious leaders can demand credible elections and condemn political violence.
They can question candidates about poverty, insecurity, corruption, education and economic management.
Those activities are fundamentally different from presenting a politician as God’s preferred candidate or pressuring worshippers to support a particular party.
Congregants Must Make Their Own Political Choices
The responsibility does not rest entirely with religious leaders.
Citizens must also critically assess political messages they receive, whether those messages come from pastors, traditional rulers, celebrities, community leaders or political influencers.
Democratic elections ultimately require voters to evaluate candidates.
Competence, character, policies, track record and capacity to govern should remain central considerations.
The relationship between politicians and pastors in Nigeria should not remove that individual responsibility.
A religious endorsement does not replace scrutiny of a candidate’s record.
Neither should disagreement with a pastor’s political preference become disagreement over faith.
Congregations often contain people from different ethnic backgrounds, economic circumstances and political persuasions. Turning the pulpit into a rigid partisan platform risks dividing communities that ordinarily worship together.
Politicians Must Also Respect Religious Institutions
Ayodele’s comments place responsibility on politicians as well.
Political candidates should not regard churches merely as reservoirs of votes.
If politicians seek relationships with religious communities during election campaigns, those relationships should not disappear immediately after ballots are counted.
More importantly, public officials have a responsibility to govern citizens equally, whether those citizens supported them or opposed them.
A healthy relationship between politicians and pastors in Nigeria should therefore be based on respect rather than political transaction.
Religious institutions should retain the freedom to criticise government when necessary, while elected officials should be prepared to listen without demanding political loyalty in return.
Ogele News Perspective: Faith Should Not Become Political Currency
Ayodele’s choice of words is provocative, but the underlying issue deserves serious discussion as Nigeria moves towards another general election.
Politicians naturally seek endorsements. Pastors naturally have personal political views.
The danger begins when spiritual authority and political patronage become indistinguishable.
The church should be able to challenge politicians before elections and continue challenging them after they assume office.
Likewise, politicians should engage religious leaders without expecting pulpits to become campaign platforms.
That is why the debate over politicians and pastors in Nigeria is bigger than Ayodele or any particular candidate.
It is ultimately about the independence of institutions that exercise enormous influence over society.
As 2027 approaches, religious leaders will almost certainly receive visits, requests and overtures from politicians seeking support.
Ayodele’s warning is straightforward: pastors should understand the nature of politics before staking their credibility on politicians who may no longer require their support after an election.
For religious institutions, maintaining independence may ultimately prove more valuable than temporary proximity to political power.
