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Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has condemned what he described as renewed patronage of churches by politicians ahead of the 2027 elections, specifically calling out presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi and governors gathering clerics to endorse President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Adeyanju said the use of religion for political mobilisation is capable of destroying Nigeria.
He said, “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.”
Adeyanju cited the Electoral Act 2026, saying it expressly prohibits the use of places of worship for political campaigns and prohibits campaigning on religious, tribal or sectional grounds.
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He described as “condemnable” the recent gathering of religious clerics by a governor to endorse Tinubu, and also faulted Peter Obi for “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,” he queried.
The lawyer urged pastors to “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 added.
