Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has criticised the renewed patronage of churches by presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, warning that the politicisation of religion could deepen divisions and threaten Nigeria’s unity.
Adeyanju made his position known in a Facebook post on Tuesday, arguing that elections should focus on ideas, policies and competing visions for the country rather than religion.
“Elections should be about ideas, policies and competing visions for Nigeria. Religion and politics should never be allowed to become instruments of division,” he said.
Adeyanju said churches should not be used as platforms for political campaigns or gimmicks, urging pastors and other religious leaders to stop giving politicians opportunities to campaign or seek endorsements in places of worship.
He also cited the Electoral Act 2026, claiming that it prohibits the use of places of worship for political campaigns and campaigning on religious, tribal or sectional grounds.
“The Electoral Act 2026 expressly prohibits the use of places of worship for political campaigns and prohibits campaigning on religious, tribal or sectional grounds,” Adeyanju said.
He also condemned the reported gathering of religious clerics by a governor to endorse President Bola Tinubu, while expressing concern over what he described as Obi’s return to religious mobilisation.
“The gathering of religious clerics by a governor last week to endorse Tinubu is also condemnable, just as it is troubling to see Peter Obi appearing to return to the same politics of religious mobilisation that divided Nigerians in 2023,” he said.
Adeyanju warned against repeating what he described as the “bad precedent” of the 2023 elections, questioning the consequences of continued political mobilisation along religious lines.
“At what cost will it be when we continue to divide ourselves along religious lines using the weapon of politics? At what cost?” he asked.
He urged pastors to desist from providing political platforms to politicians, saying this was necessary to preserve the sanctity of religious institutions.
“All is not fair in politics. All is not fair in politics like President Tinubu wrongly said,” Adeyanju added.
Source: Deji Adeyanju’s Facebook post
