The Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, has warned Nigerians against treating politics and religion as a call to war ahead of the 2027 general elections.
ECWA General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Ayuba Asheshe, gave the warning during a press briefing at the ECWA Headquarters in Jos, Plateau State, urging politicians and citizens to put the interest of Nigeria above political and religious differences.
Asheshe said political party membership should be about what individuals can contribute to the country, rather than a do-or-die struggle for power.
“Being in politics, being in one particular religion or the other, is not a call for war,” he said.
He said the shared challenges facing Nigerians should make it difficult for political or religious differences to become grounds for hostility.
“When economic hardship strikes, it doesn’t ask you whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. We all go through the heart of pain together. And we should also go through the heart of joy together,” Asheshe stated.
The ECWA General Secretary urged politicians to conduct their campaigns peacefully and avoid rhetoric capable of creating tension among citizens.
“We must eschew politics of bitterness. We must hold each other’s hand and see how we can run together and succeed together,” he said.
Asheshe also called on political aspirants and their supporters to promote peace throughout the electioneering period, urging anyone pursuing politics capable of setting citizens against one another to stop.
“Whatever you can do in order to bring peace, in order to build peace, in order to promote peace, please go for such things. Anybody that is bringing a politics of division and decimation, may I call on you, please stop that,” he stated.
He urged religious leaders to remain neutral and provide guidance to political actors irrespective of their party affiliations, stressing that a clergy visit to a politician should not automatically be regarded as political endorsement.
Asheshe said religious leaders have a responsibility to relate with people across political lines and help promote peaceful engagement during the election season.
He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to maintain neutrality in the 2027 elections, saying those entrusted with public responsibilities must justify the confidence placed in them.
“And the call to INEC is, there must be a neutral umpire. Everybody has been given a position of trust. You must live according to that trust,” he said.
Asheshe further urged Christian politicians to allow their faith to reflect in their conduct in public office, stressing the need for fairness, justice and responsible representation.
He called on Nigerians and other stakeholders to ensure that the 2027 elections remain a democratic contest and do not become a trigger for religious or political hostility.
