By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has appealed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release detained Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The appeal was made on Wednesday at the 2026 Synod of the CBCN in Abuja, where Akume was present as a special guest, as bishops rallied around their President-General, Archbishop Leonard Bature Kawas, and declared their positions on the country’s political and socio-economic challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking for the South-East, Archbishop Robert Imoh first declared the region’s support for the Tinubu administration before turning to Akume with an emotional plea over Kanu’s continued detention.
“With all my heart, I want to say that this great government of Nigeria, under President Tinubu, is doing marvellously well. And I want to humbly request, sir, this is from the South-East, with my knees on the ground, that you beg our dear President that Nnamdi Kanu be released,” Imoh said.
Bishops rally behind Kawas
The appeal came as representatives of the six geopolitical zones took turns to give Archbisbop Kawas a mandate to speak on their behalf.
The South, North, South-South, South-East, South-West, North-East, North-West and North-Central representatives, as well as the National Women Overseer, pledged their support for Kawas and urged him to speak their minds on issues confronting the country.
The President-General subsequently took the floor.
“Now that the House has mandated me to speak, I will now speak,” Archbishop Kawas declared.
The leader of the Charismatic Bishops, who said the CBCN had more than 950 consecrated and installed canonical bishops in Nigeria and maintained a presence in 51 countries, expressed support for the administration of President Tinubu.
Don’t turn security crisis into religious war – Minister
Earlier, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace, responsible citizenship and national unity, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
Idris said Nigerians had the constitutional right to support any political party or candidate regardless of religious affiliation, while religious leaders were equally entitled to hold political opinions.
“Political competition is part of democracy. Nigerians have the right to support the political party or candidate of their choice, regardless of their religious affiliation. Religious leaders also have the right, as citizens, to hold political opinions,” he said.
He, however, warned against allowing political contests to assume religious or ethnic dimensions, insisting that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be presented as a religious war.
According to him, terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians of different faiths and backgrounds, with their broader objective being to create fear and undermine national unity.
The minister said the Tinubu administration had strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, military operations, logistics and international security partnerships.
He said approximately 1,000 terrorists, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated in the North-East during the first quarter of 2026, while 308 abducted Nigerians were rescued in Niger and Kwara states in August in a coordinated operation involving the Armed Forces, Department of State Services and Nigeria Police Force.
Idris urged religious leaders to complement the work of security agencies by promoting social cohesion and steering young people away from radicalisation and criminality.
Economy: ‘The journey to prosperity has begun’
Turning to the economy, Idris said 27 of the 36 states were unable to pay workers’ wages as of May 2023, but argued that the situation had changed significantly under the present administration.
He said foreign reserves had risen above $54 billion, while GDP had increased and headline and food inflation were declining.
Idris also said Nigeria had been cleared by the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, of concerns over money laundering and other illicit financial dealings, describing the development as a boost to international confidence and investment.
He acknowledged that economic reforms had not eliminated the difficulties facing households.
“This does not in any way mean that everything is now perfect. This does not mean that we have reached the destination we want to reach,” he said.
“But the journey to our economic prosperity has begun.”
He defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, saying it had created fiscal headroom for increased investment in infrastructure, while government was also investing in human capital through programmes including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, 3 Million Technical Talent Programme, Youth Investment Fund, National Youth Talent Export Programme and Student Venture Capital Grant.
The minister urged churches to deepen their involvement in education, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, vocational training and youth development, while encouraging young Nigerians to embrace entrepreneurship, discipline and the dignity of work.
‘Don’t use smartphones to spread misinformation’
Idris also warned against the spread of misinformation through social media, urging Nigerians to verify information before sharing it.
“The laptop, the smartphone and, indeed, every other device that you hold in your hands should aid you to grow and prosper. We should not use these devices to spread misinformation,” Idris said.
He urged religious leaders to use their influence to promote truth, tolerance and responsible citizenship, noting that millions of Nigerians look to pastors, bishops and other religious leaders for guidance on issues beyond religion.
2027: ‘No election should divide Nigerians’
On the 2027 elections, Idris urged religious leaders to encourage Nigerians to examine candidates’ records and programmes, vote according to their conscience and accept legitimate electoral outcomes.
“No election should be allowed to turn Christian against Muslim or Muslim against Christian, North against South or one ethnic group against another,” he said.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, stressing that Christians, Muslims and adherents of other faiths must be free to practise their beliefs.
Idris commended the CBCN for promoting unity among Christians and maintaining relationships with Muslims and people of other faiths, urging the organisation to deepen its contribution to national development.
He said citizens did not have to like the government or its leaders but had a responsibility to preserve the unity of Nigeria.
“You do not necessarily have to like the government. You do not even have to necessarily like those who are leading this country at this point,” Idris said.
“But it is pertinent that, even as you do that, you have a responsibility to preserve and promote the unity of this country.”
He said elections were only moments in the life of a nation and should not be allowed to destroy the larger Nigerian project.
The minister called for greater cooperation among government, religious and traditional leaders, the private sector, professionals, young people and communities in building a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
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