By Toyin Victor, Abuja
Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has raised the alarm over what he describes as the renewed use of religion for political mobilisation, warning that allowing politics to exploit religious sentiments could further divide Nigeria.
Adeyanju, reacting to Peter Obi’s recent church engagements, said elections should be about ideas, policies and competing visions for the country, rather than religious affiliation. He maintained that churches should not be turned into venues for political campaigns, gimmicks or attempts to secure endorsements.
The lawyer also cited the Electoral Act 2026, which he said prohibits the use of places of worship for political campaigns and bars campaigning on religious, tribal or sectional grounds. He equally condemned the reported gathering of religious clerics by a governor to endorse President Bola Tinubu, describing such political use of religious platforms as equally troubling.
According to Adeyanju, it is particularly concerning to see Obi appearing to return to what he described as the politics of religious mobilisation that divided Nigerians during the 2023 elections. He questioned the cost of continuing to divide the country along religious lines through politics and warned against repeating what he called the bad precedent of 2023.
Adeyanju therefore urged politicians to seek the support of Nigerians through policies and ideas, rather than religious mobilisation, while calling on pastors and other religious leaders to stop providing political platforms in churches. He stressed that political ambition should not come at the expense of national unity or the sanctity of the house of God.