Political analyst, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor has criticised members of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) over their reported endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term, warning against the use of religious authority for partisan political mobilisation.

Ejiofor, in a statement issued at the weekend, said introducing religious endorsements into Nigeria’s political process could worsen existing divisions ahead of the 2027 general election.

The statement, titled, “The Auction of Ecclesiastical Imprimatur: A Disturbing Show of Shame and the Urgent Need to Quarantine Religious Authority from the 2027 Electioneering Campaigns,” urged Nigerians, particularly Christians, to protect the integrity of democratic institutions.

He argued that the Church should hold political leaders accountable rather than become a platform for political mobilisation.

“The Church should be a conscience to power, not a megaphone for power. A bishop should be able to challenge the government today and commend it tomorrow without either position being interpreted as evidence of political purchase,” he said.

Ejiofor clarified that his objection was not to Christians participating in politics or clergy members exercising their constitutional rights, but to the collective use of ecclesiastical authority as a mechanism for endorsing political candidates.

“The 2027 elections should therefore be fought on issues, records and competing visions for Nigeria and not on the altar of religious solidarity. And, quite frankly, our democracy certainly deserves better than an electoral contest in episcopal regalia,” he said.

He referenced a recent call by Chief Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of Arise Media Group, for politicians, especially presidential candidates, to focus their campaigns on issues rather than religion.

Ejiofor described the call as timely, given what he termed the increasingly troubling intersection between religion and politics in Nigeria.

He particularly questioned the reported events at the CBCN gathering in Abuja, alleging that participants appeared in coordinated episcopal regalia and, in the presence of government officials, publicly expressed support for Tinubu and the APC.

Ejiofor said he had no objection to any Nigerian, including members of the clergy, choosing to support a candidate.

“What I find profoundly disturbing, however, is the manner in which ecclesiastical identity and the symbolic authority of the episcopacy were apparently mobilised and deployed as an instrument of partisan political endorsement, particularly at a time when the formal electioneering campaign has not even commenced,” he said.

He also questioned the credentials of some individuals who attended the event, saying he did not recognise some of them as ordained bishops from established ecclesiastical traditions.

Ejiofor added that he had been informed that episcopal regalia were allegedly distributed ahead of the gathering, although he stressed that he did not personally witness the incident.

“Perhaps, I should commend one thing without reservation: the tailor evidently understood his assignment. The regalia appeared to have received an impressive finishing,” he said.

However, he maintained that the issue went beyond the appearance of the garments to the broader implications of using religious identity and authority for partisan politics.

“The Church occupies a unique moral space in society. Its authority is not derived from political office, governmental patronage, party structures or electoral arithmetic. Its influence flows principally from the confidence reposed in it as a moral and spiritual institution,” he said.

While acknowledging the political rights of clergy members, Ejiofor said those rights should not blur the distinction between personal political preferences and institutional religious authority.

“But the pulpit is not a political rally. Episcopal vestments are not party uniforms. The altar is not a campaign podium and ecclesiastical authority must never become a substitute for democratic persuasion,” he said.

He warned that Nigeria was entering another highly competitive electoral period, noting that the effects of ethnic and religious divisions exploited during previous elections remained a concern.

Ejiofor consequently called on political and religious leaders to exercise restraint and avoid actions capable of deepening existing divisions as the country approaches the 2027 elections.