2027 Polls: Catholic Church Urges Voters To Consider Competence , Integrity, Over Ethnicity, Religion

By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

Amidst fresh concerns raised by the All Progressive Congress’  decision to retain its  Presidential Muslim -Muslim ticket ahead of the 2027 polls, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria  has called on the electorate to prioritize competence , integrity and commitment to the common good over religious and ethnic considerations in their choice of leaders.

This is as the Justice, Development and Peace Commission, JDPC. of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, expressed serious concern over the increasing erosion and subversion of public confidence and trust in the country’s democratic institutions and processes.

At a media briefing on Friday, the Secretary -General of the Catholic Secretariat, Rev Fr. Michael Ayanleke Banjo, emphasized the need for Nigerians to shun ethnicity and religion in their choice of political office holders in the forthcoming general elections.

According to him, voters should  consider the ability of individuals to serve and deliver, rather than paying attention to where they are from, and their religious persuasion.

Rev Fr Banjo noted that such mundane considerations in our choice of political leaders has been at the root of the inability of the country to make the needed progress these past years.

“We should avoid politics of ethnicity or religion, of 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?.

“I think what we want is someone  who is able to serve the common good and move the country forward; someone who truly believes that leadership is service, 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 stated.

Similarly, in a statement issued at the end of its 2026 Annual General Meeting in Abuja on Friday ,the JDPC lamented the growing public distrust in democratic process, noting that such development has the dangerous potential to undermine and weaken democracy in the country.

However, in the statement jointly issued by Banjo and Rev Fr Peter Babangida Audu, the JDPC maintained that the greatest threat to the survival of the country’s democratic arrangement is the growing tendency for the people to believe that their votes no longer count.

According to the body, many Nigerians no longer have confidence in the ability of democratic institutions to guarantee justice and fairness, adding that this has posed more threat to democracy than election-day malpractices.

The JDPC, however, appealed to the people not to  despair or  withdraw completely from the democratic process, insisting that remaining apathetic will only compound the situation.

This is as it urged the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, and democratic institutions to remain transparent, and neutral in their activities, as well as adhere strictly to the extant rules and regulations governing their operations.

The JDPC also appealed to security agencies to remain neutral and professional in the discharge of their duties, especially, during elections .