The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has urged Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious sentiments in the 2027 general elections, insisting that the country’s future depends on electing leaders based on competence, integrity and commitment to national development rather than faith or place of origin.
Addressing journalists on Friday at the end of the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in Abuja, Rev. Fr. Michael Ayanleke Banjo, Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, urged voters to scrutinise the character and capacity of candidates rather than allowing religion or ethnicity to determine their choices.
“We should avoid the politics of ethnicity or religion by looking at where a candidate comes from or what religion he practises. What if a candidate is a Christian and he is unable to deliver, and then you want to vote for him just because he is a Christian?
“What we want is someone who is able to serve the common good and move this country forward; someone who truly believes that leadership is service and not self-serving; someone who wants to serve and achieve the common good of all Nigerians.
“We want Nigerians to look out for those qualities and vote for such candidates,” Banjo added.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and jointly signed by Rev. Fr. Michael Ayanleke Banjo and Rev. Fr. Peter Babangida Audu, Director of Church and Society of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the Justice, Development and Peace Commission warned that democracy would remain fragile if citizens continued to lose confidence in the electoral process.
The commission said the biggest danger confronting Nigeria’s democracy is the growing perception among citizens that their votes no longer matter and that public institutions cannot be trusted.
To rebuild public confidence before the 2027 polls, the commission proposed a five-point framework, including measures to increase voter participation, ensure speedy determination of election petitions, strengthen electoral integrity and accountability, expand grassroots civic education and peacebuilding, and sustain moral and pastoral guidance for citizens.
The commission also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain transparent and strictly adhere to the Electoral Act throughout the electoral process.
It further urged the judiciary to resolve election disputes fairly and without undue delay, while calling on security agencies to remain neutral, professional and non-partisan during elections.
