Minister Calls For Peace As Nigeria Prepares For 2027 Elections

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged religious leaders to use their platforms to foster peace and national unity ahead of the 2027 general elections, cautioning that inflammatory messages could heighten religious and ethnic tensions in the country.

Idris made the call at the grand finale of the 2026 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles (ICCABA), which took place at the National Christian Center, Abuja.

Religious leaders, he said, had an important responsibility in maintaining peace because millions of Nigerians looked to them for guidance, not only on spiritual matters but also on issues affecting their communities and the nation.
“During a time when misinformation, hate speech, religious intolerance and political tension can be disseminated within minutes, the pulpit and other platforms of religious communication should be spaces for the promotion of truth, peace and responsible citizenship,” Idris warned.

He emphasized that political competition was a normal part of democracy but warned that political differences should not be allowed to become religious or ethnic conflicts.

The Minister also cautioned against portraying the country’s security issues as a religious conflict, saying terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians of different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

The Nigerian Government was committed to protecting the constitutional right of every Nigerian to practise his or her religion freely, Idris said.

“No Nigerian should be attacked or discriminated against on the basis of religion. “Christians, Muslims and other faiths should be able to live and worship in peace,” the Minister stressed.

Idris said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation and military operations against terrorist and criminal networks.

On the economy, the Minister said the Nigerian Government was carrying out reforms while creating opportunities for young Nigerians through programs like NELFUND, 3MTT, NYIF, NATEP, SVCG, SUPA and iDICE.

“Nigeria’s greatest resource is not just what is under our soil. It is also the talent and ability of our people. He stressed, “Our greater obligation therefore is to preserve the peace of Nigeria, strengthen its unity and safeguard its future for generations yet to come.”

But he said the responsibility to build a secure society did not fall on the military and police alone, urging religious leaders to assist in checking radicalization and criminality among young people.

Idris urged, “Religious leaders have a vital role to play in strengthening social cohesion, steering young people away from radicalization and criminality, and promoting dialog and peaceful engagement as the proper response to political, social and economic grievances.”

Idris called on churches to increase their contributions to national development through education, healthcare, skills acquisition, youth development and humanitarian services and urged religious organizations to join the government in the fight against misinformation and the promotion of responsible national discourse.

The statement of a respected religious leader can bring peace to a community. It can also make one angry. “Therefore, leadership must always be accompanied by responsibility,” the Minister warned.

Idris urged the religious leaders to view elections in the light of the nation’s continuity.

“As we look forward to 2027 and the years ahead, let us remember that elections are events in the life of a nation, while the nation itself goes beyond electoral cycles, governments and political parties,” he reminded the gathering.

Also speaking, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, commended the Church for its prayers, humanitarian interventions and contributions to peace, national cohesion and moral formation.

Akume recognized the sacrifices Nigerians had made in the course of the ongoing economic reforms, assuring citizens that the Government remained focused on improving household incomes, reducing hardship and ensuring that the benefits of reform were increasingly felt across the country.

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Akume assured Nigerians, “Our citizens are patriotic and resilient and we commend them for that and we assure them that it will never be in vain, as promised by Mr President himself.

He also called for greater partnership between the Government and the Church to address Nigeria’s security and development challenges, particularly in the areas of youth empowerment, education, peace building, civic responsibility and humanitarian service.

For his part, the President General of CBCN, Archbishop Prof. Leonard Bature Kawas, declared the support of the Conference for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, citing the policies of the administration and what he described as its efforts to promote national development and inclusivity.

Addressing the assembly, Kawas said the Church had examined the record of the administration and was prepared to continue supporting the President.

“We’re behind him now. We support him today, we support him tomorrow, and we will support him as long as he is willing to be our president,” Kawas said.

“This house has endorsed him for the 2027 presidency. This is the mandate of the gathering,” he added.

The 2026 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and the International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles (ICCABA) gathered Christian faith leaders, bishops and apostles to discuss the future of the Church, worship and community collaboration.