Human rights lawyer and political commentator, Deji Adeyanju, has warned politicians against using religion to mobilise voters, urging them to seek electoral support based on ideas, policies and competing visions for Nigeria.
Adeyanju, who criticised both President Bola Tinubu and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, over what he described as religious mobilisation, said religion and politics must not be allowed to become instruments for dividing Nigerians.
He also condemned the gathering of religious clerics by a governor to endorse Tinubu, describing the development as unacceptable and warning that the country must not repeat the religious divisions that characterised the 2023 elections.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2026 expressly prohibits the use of places of worship for political campaigns and also bars campaigning on religious, tribal or sectional grounds.
Adeyanju said the church should not be turned into a venue for political campaigns or gimmicks, stressing that politicians are not pastors and religious leaders should not provide them with platforms to campaign or seek endorsements.
He further faulted Obi for allegedly returning to what he described as the politics of religious mobilisation that divided Nigerians during the 2023 elections, warning that such conduct could deepen existing divisions in the country.
The lawyer questioned the consequences of continuing to mobilise Nigerians along religious lines for political purposes, saying the country could not afford to worsen the divisions created during the 2023 election.
Adeyanju also urged pastors and other religious leaders to desist from providing political platforms for politicians if they want to preserve their credibility and keep places of worship sacred, insisting that “all is not fair in politics” contrary to President Tinubu’s reported position.
“Elections should be about ideas, policies and competing visions for Nigeria. Religion and politics should never be allowed to become instruments of division. The church is not a place for political campaigns or political gimmicks, and politicians are not pastors.
“Pastors and religious leaders should stop giving politicians platforms to campaign or seek endorsements in church.”The Electoral Act 2026 expressly prohibits the use of places of worship for political campaigns and prohibits campaigning on religious, tribal or sectional grounds.
“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.”
At what cost will it be when we continue to divide ourselves along religious lines using the weapon of politics? At what cost? The bad precedent set in 2023 should not be repeated, let alone worsened.
Pastors must desist from platforming politicians if they are to retain their respect and keep the house of God sacred. All is not fair in politics. All is not fair in politics like President Tinubu wrongly said.” Adeyanju said
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