As Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections, the Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has cautioned religious leaders and political actors against partisan conduct, warning that exploiting faith and ethnic identities threatens democratic stability and national unity.
Addressing a Press Conference in Abuja, Convener of NNMG, Chief Jacob Edi who claimed his group represents over 200 minority communities across Northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) expressed concern over the growing intrusion of religious institutions into partisan politics, adding that legitimate advocacy must be clearly distinguished from partisan interference.
According to him, ”Religious leaders must also recognise the boundaries between spiritual responsibility and partisan political engagement. Politics belongs to politicians, political parties and the electorate. Religious institutions should concentrate on spiritual obligations, moral enlightenment, interfaith harmony and prayers for national peace.
”They must neither compete with political parties for relevance nor turn their pulpits and minbars into platforms for partisan mobilisation,” the statement said.
He emphasised that no religious entity holds exclusive authority over Nigeria’s political trajectory, adding that electoral legitimacy derives strictly from the Constitution and legal processes rather than clerical approval.
”INEC is a national institution, not a religious establishment. Its credibility must be judged by its independence, transparency, impartiality and adherence to its constitutional mandate, not the religious persuasion of its leadership. Nigeria is a constitutional republic, not a theocracy,” it stated.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing a level playing field for political competition, NNMG urged the President to rein in members of his political circle alleged to be exploiting his name for personal enrichment through government contracts.
”Such conduct, when established, amounts to an abuse of presidential goodwill and undermines public confidence in the administration,” the group cautioned, adding that the group would release relevant information on these alleged practices at the appropriate time.
Turning to the opposition, NNMG called on political leaders across party lines to play by the rules and refrain from heating up the polity merely to harvest votes.
”Opposition is an indispensable feature of democracy, but political ambition does not confer a licence to disregard the law or destabilise the country,” the group asserted.
The group therefore urged all stakeholders to exercise restraint, respect constitutional institutions, and prioritize the national interest over partisan or sectarian ambitions.
”Nigeria belongs to all its citizens. No individual, religion, ethnicity or interest group has a superior claim to the Nigerian state,” the statement concluded.