Monday, September 14, 2026 - Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said that while Christians may belong to different political parties and support different political strategies, the church must not become an electoral machinery for any political party.
Fayemi spoke on Saturday while addressing the Catholic
Bishops Conference of Nigeria plenary in Osogbo, Osun State, on the theme,
“Faith in Action: Empowering the Catholic Laity for Active Political
Participation Ahead of the 2027 General Election.”
Speaking on the role of Catholics in politics, Fayemi said
it was not to impose a Christian theocracy but to transform society by putting
their faith into action rather than submitting to blind loyalty based on
ethnicity or religion.
Fayemi said, “The role of a Catholic in politics is not to
impose a Christian theocracy. Conversion by coercion is not part of our
political engagement. The 2002 Doctrinal Note recognises the legitimate
autonomy of the political sphere and makes clear that the church does not
prescribe one specific political solution to every temporal question.
“This implies that Catholics may legitimately belong to
different political parties and support different political strategies,
provided these are compatible with faith and the moral law.
“The church cannot become an electoral machinery for any
political party.”
As the 2027 elections approach, the former governor stressed
that it was imperative for Catholics to participate in politics, but said such
participation should not be driven by “ethnicity, religion, personal financial
gain, political patronage, friendship, family connections, fear, misinformation
or blind loyalty to political parties.”
Rather, he said Christians should align with candidates
whose policies were most capable of “advancing human dignity, justice, peace,
security, development and the common good.”
He admonished, “Catholics must approach the 2027 elections
bearing in mind that our political and electoral choices have huge consequences
for the common good and well-being of society.
“We must, therefore, not lose sight of the church’s
consistent teaching that our participation in political and electoral processes
is not merely a civic responsibility but also an opportunity to promote,
protect, and advance the common good.”
He urged Christians to look out for candidates with concrete
plans to address poverty, unemployment, education, healthcare, security,
justice and the vulnerable.
“As the election draws close, every political programme must
be judged by how it affects human beings. This implies that the laity should
pay particular attention to how these programmes affect poverty, unemployment,
education, healthcare, security, justice, the family and the vulnerable.
“For Catholics, these are moral issues and as such our
political participation must be to address them,” Fayemi said.
He bemoaned rampant vote-buying, urging the church to
greatly sensitise parishioners on the dangers of vote-buying and its
consequences for their future.
He noted that with vote-buying, elections became an
investment for politicians who would assume office with the intention of
recouping their money, leaving the electorate scrambling for crumbs.
Rather than seek immediate gains, Fayemi urged restraint,
saying the people should instead be keen on evaluating those elected into
office to determine their fate going forward.
Fayemi said, “One of the greatest problems confronting
Nigerian politics is the transactional relationship between politicians and
citizens. A politician distributes money during elections and expects votes in
return. Citizens sometimes demand immediate personal benefits from politicians
rather than evaluating their capacity to govern.
“This creates a dangerous vicious cycle. The politician sees
public office as an investment. The citizen sees the election as an opportunity
for personal gain. The common good disappears. As we approach the 2027 general
elections, the Catholic political formation must challenge this culture.
“The church must design a strategy to educate the laity on
the dangers of vote-buying and the harm it does not only to our democratic
process but also to the future and wellbeing of our society.”
He also cautioned against notions that politics was a dirty
game and that participation ended with casting votes.
He urged increased participation, warning that when people
of good conscience stood aloof, they allowed unprincipled opportunists into
public office.
“Public office is too serious to be left to people who have
no fear of God. When serious Catholics committed to the ideals of social
justice and the common good turn away from politics, we open the door for
unprincipled opportunists to take power.
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