The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has cautioned politicians and their supporters against dragging the name of Jesus Christ into partisan political battles ahead of the 2027 general elections.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, issued the warning on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, while reacting to recent comments by Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee, who invoked Jesus Christ while making a political argument involving Labour Party figure Peter Obi and the 2027 presidential election.
Okoh said political discussions could become intense, particularly as parties and their supporters prepare for the next general elections, but urged Christians and other Nigerians to exercise restraint when invoking the name of Christ in political arguments.
According to the CAN president, Jesus Christ should not be turned into a political instrument or used to elevate one candidate above another. He described the name of Christ as sacred and warned against bringing it into partisan contests in ways that could place politicians in a position reserved for God.
“Jesus Christ is not a political candidate, a campaign slogan or a weapon to advance one politician against another,” Okoh said.
He stressed that Nigerians have the freedom to support or criticise candidates of their choice, including Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu. However, he said political loyalty should not become so intense that it diminishes the reverence Christians attach to Jesus Christ.
The CAN president's comments came after Mama Pee reportedly made a political remark referencing Jesus while discussing Obi and the 2027 election. Rather than focusing solely on the individual comment, Okoh used the incident to caution political actors and their supporters against turning religious language into a tool for partisan mobilisation.
Okoh urged politicians and citizens to direct their attention to issues that voters can assess when choosing their leaders, including competence, character, policies, performance and the future direction of Nigeria.
“Let us argue about competence, character, policies, performance and the future of Nigeria. Let us disagree passionately if necessary, but let us leave Jesus Christ out of our partisan quarrels,” he said.
He also warned against portraying politicians as messianic figures, stressing that electoral contests should not be presented as battles between spiritual saviours or as substitutes for the religious significance Christians attach to Christ.
“No politician is the Messiah,” Okoh said, adding that no political party represents the spiritual salvation associated with Christ and that no electoral victory is worth compromising the honour due to his name.
The warning comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections continue to gather momentum, with politicians and their supporters increasingly using public rallies, television, online platforms and social media to promote candidates and debate their opponents.
For CAN, the growing intensity of political competition should not come at the expense of respect for religious beliefs. The association's position is that Nigerians can engage vigorously in political debate while keeping religious reverence separate from partisan competition.
The statement also reflects CAN's wider role as an umbrella organisation representing Christians across different denominations in Nigeria. The association says among its objectives are promoting unity, peace and mutual respect, as well as engaging with national issues affecting the country.
As the 2027 election season approaches, Okoh called on politicians, their supporters and Nigerians generally to conduct political conversations responsibly and with restraint. His message was that political disagreements are part of democratic competition, but religious faith should not be reduced to a campaign instrument.
The CAN position does not prevent Nigerians from expressing their personal religious beliefs while participating in politics. Rather, the warning specifically targets the use of Jesus Christ's name to advance partisan arguments or portray political candidates in messianic terms.
With political campaigns expected to become more competitive as the election draws closer, the association is urging candidates and their supporters to make their case to voters through their records, policies and capacity to govern rather than through religiously charged comparisons.
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