In a fiery yet heartfelt moment on Sunday morning, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike addressed worshippers at St. James’ Anglican Church, Asokoro, with a message that blurred the lines between politics and faith.
Speaking during a special thanksgiving service commemorating the successful commissioning of projects by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wike didn’t hold back. His tone was both reverent and cautionary.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell us, particularly the church—you nearly made the worst mistake in 2023,” he said, pausing for emphasis. “We have to be very careful this time around.”
Though he didn’t directly name names or parties, Wike’s comment was widely interpreted as a reference to the 2023 presidential election—where many churches, particularly in the South, openly supported the candidacy of Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
For Wike, who aligned with the ruling APC shortly after the elections, the church’s unified stance was more than just a moral stand; it was a potentially dangerous political gamble.
“You took a decision that would have cost some of us our future,” he added, clearly alluding to the complexities of political survival in Nigeria’s high-stakes environment.
But the Minister didn’t come only to criticize—he came to advise. Urging religious leaders not to make decisions based on emotion or media narratives, Wike called for open dialogue between the church and its political members.
“Ask us questions. We are the politicians,” he said. “You have senators in this church. Call on them, ask what is going on. They will educate you.”
The minister’s appeal signals a broader concern within Nigeria’s political elite: that religious bodies, in trying to uphold morality, may sometimes overlook the intricate realities of power dynamics.
Wike also took aim at what he described as ongoing blackmail campaigns, warning that political misinformation is again brewing as 2027 draws closer.
“Blackmail—they are at it again,” he warned ominously, without naming who “they” are.
The church, often seen as a moral compass, now finds itself at the center of Nigeria’s political discourse, and Wike’s message was a wake-up call: pray, but also pay attention.
As the dust of 2023 settles and the road to 2027 begins to take shape, Sunday’s service was a reminder that faith and politics are not as separate as many believe—and both carry the power to shape destinies.
