The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, while the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged church leaders across Nigeria to use their influence to promote peace, national unity, responsible citizenship and peaceful democratic participation ahead of the elections.
Idris made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the Grand Finale of the 2026 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and the International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles (ICCABA), held at the National Christian Centre.
The Minister said Nigeria’s diversity required responsible leadership across all sectors of society, stressing that preserving national unity could not be left to government alone.
“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 people of other faiths should be able to worship and live peacefully without discrimination.
He cautioned against portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious war, noting that terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians across different faiths and backgrounds.
The Minister said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, military operations and the wider national security architecture, noting that approximately 1,000 terrorist elements, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated in the first quarter of 2026.
He also cited the August rescue of 308 abducted Nigerians in Niger and Kwara States as evidence of the continued efforts of security agencies.
Idris urged religious leaders to strengthen social cohesion, guide young people away from radicalisation and criminality, support community early-warning mechanisms and promote dialogue, particularly 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,” he said.
He also called on religious leaders to keep their pulpits as 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 organisations to deepen their contributions to education, healthcare, skills development, youth empowerment, humanitarian service and community development.
In a major political development at the event, the President General of CBCN, Archbishop Prof. Leonard Bature Kawas, declared the Conference’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, citing the administration’s policies and what he described as its efforts to promote national development and inclusivity.
Addressing the gathering, Kawas said the Church had examined the administration’s record and was prepared to continue supporting the President through prayers, advocacy and public engagement.
“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 that the position represented the mandate of the gathering, stating: “This house has endorsed him for 2027 presidency.”
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event, 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 government remained focused on improving household incomes, reducing hardship and ensuring that the benefits of reform 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,” Akume said.
He also called for stronger collaboration between government and the Church in addressing Nigeria’s security and development challenges, particularly in youth empowerment, education, peacebuilding, civic responsibility and humanitarian service.
“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,” he said.
The SGF assured the gathering that government welcomed the Church’s prayers, counsel, constructive criticism and partnership in advancing national development.
Rabiu Ibrahim, mnipr
Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
