Charismatic Bishops Conference Endorses Tinubu for

**Olawale Ajimotokan **in Abuja

The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s candidacy for the 2027 presidential election.

The President General of CBCN, Archbishop Prof. Leonard Bature Kawas, declared the conference’s support for the president yesterday at the 12th Synod of the group held at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja.

He cited the administration’s policies and what he described as its efforts to promote national unity.

Kawas said the Church had examined the administration’s record and was prepared to continue supporting the President through prayers, advocacy and public engagement.

“We support him now. We support him today, we support him tomorrow, and we support him for as long as he’s willing to be our president,” Kawas said.

He subsequently declared that the position represented the mandate of the gathering, stating: “This house has endorsed him for 2027 presidency.”

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Dr. George Akume, who declared the 12th Synod of the CBCN open on behalf of President Tinubu, urged religious leaders to sustain the unity of the country ahead of the 2027 general election by avoiding utterances capable of truncating national security.

He said President Tinubu deeply valued the prayers of the Church, its humanitarian interventions, and contributions to peace, national cohesion and moral formation.

Akume also acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians were enduring under the ongoing reforms, assuring that their patriotism and resilience would never be in vain.

He noted that while the World Bank reports indicate improved macroeconomic stability, the administration’s focus is now on household recovery.

“This government is focusing on recovery of household incomes from poverty and will never relent until when reform succeeds and translates to affordable food, jobs, better infrastructure, health services and dignity for the ordinary citizen. That is where Renewed Hope Agenda truly lies,” Akume said.

He stressed government’s determination to minimise hardship, create opportunities, simplify the fiscal regime and provide reliefs for the vulnerable individuals and businesses, as well as expand programmes in education, health, social protection and community resilience.

On security, the SGF disclosed recent gains while calling for collective responsibility.

“We have recorded encouraging intelligence-led breakthroughs, including the rescue in August of 308 abducted citizens from Kwara and Niger States. But the work remains ongoing because terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflict and criminal violence continue to wound families and communities.

“National security cannot be the responsibility of soldiers, police officers and intelligence agencies alone. Security also begins with trust, social cohesion, early warning and responsible speech,” Akume said.

He charged the Synod to play a leading role saying: “Religious leaders occupy a very important intersection in the prevention and management of these issues because they are recognised influential social mobilisers and actors in peace building. The Church must therefore see peace building as part of national security.”

He also urged the bishops to safeguard democracy, noting that as Charismatic Bishops and fathers of faith, they have a decisive role to play, not in determining the winner, but in helping to ensure that Nigeria does not lose.

“Elections will come and go, but Nigeria must remain,” Akume said, adding that the bishops should “encourage peaceful and conscientious participation” and raise their voices against anti-democratic practices such as vote-buying, hate speech and the weaponisation of ethnicity or religion.

The SGF also cautioned against the politicisation of the pulpit, saying the synod should refrain from turning the pulpit into an instrument of incitement instead of the sanctuary of conscience.

He declared election as a contest for office, saying it must never become a war for survival.

He further urged the Synod to deliberate on collaboration with government in youth empowerment, education, peace building, civic responsibility and humanitarian service, noting that government needs the moral reach of the Church for an enabling civic environment to thrive.

Also the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged church leaders across Nigeria to use their influence to promote peace, national unity, responsible citizenship and peaceful democratic participation ahead of the elections.

Idris said Nigeria’s diversity required responsible leadership across all sectors of society, stressing that preserving national unity could not be left to government alone.

The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to protecting religious freedom, stressing that Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths should be able to worship and live peacefully without discrimination.

He cautioned against portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious war, noting that terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians across different faiths and backgrounds.

He entreated religious leaders to strengthen social cohesion, guide young people away from radicalisation and criminality, support community early-warning mechanisms and promote dialogue, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 elections.

“No election should be allowed to turn Christian against Muslim, Muslim against Christian, North against South, or one ethnic group against another. Nigeria belongs to all of us,” he said.

He also called on religious leaders to keep their pulpits as platforms for truth, peace and responsible citizenship rather than incitement and division.

The Minister called on churches and other faith-based organisations to deepen their contributions to education, healthcare, skills development, youth empowerment, humanitarian service and community development.