A video showing a Catholic priest leading his congregation in a song in support of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has gone viral, reigniting debate over the role of religious leaders in Nigeria’s increasingly heated race for 2027.
Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with former Kano State governor Kwankwaso as his running mate.
What the video shows
The clip, which has been circulating on X since Sunday, shows the priest in his vestments leading worshippers inside a church in a lively song in Igbo. The song promotes the NDC and presents the party as a better choice for Nigerians, with congregants singing along.
The priest has not been identified, and it is not yet clear where or when the video was recorded. Premium Times noted that the use of Igbo suggests the church may be in the South-East, Obi’s home region, but this has not been confirmed. Vanguard, The Sun and Premium Times have all reported on the clip.
As of Monday, there was no statement from the Catholic Church or any diocese about the video.
Mixed reactions
The clip has drawn strong reactions online. According to The Sun, many Nigerians questioned whether a church service is the right place for partisan campaigning and warned that such endorsements could divide worshippers who support different parties.
The Church and partisan politics
The Catholic Church generally encourages members to take part in politics and vote according to their conscience, but it discourages priests from openly campaigning for particular parties or candidates. Church rules say clergy should not take an active part in political parties without the approval of Church authorities.
Catholic bishops in Nigeria have often spoken out on governance, insecurity and corruption, and have urged Nigerians to vote for credible leaders, but they usually stop short of naming candidates. It is not yet known whether the priest’s diocese will respond.
Religion in the 2027 race
The video is the latest example of faith leaders taking sides as the 2027 elections draw closer. In August, Islamic cleric Sani Jingir publicly backed a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In September, the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Nigeria has long had an unwritten tradition of balancing presidential tickets across the country’s Christian and Muslim populations. The Obi–Kwankwaso pairing brings together a Christian from the South-East and a Muslim from the North-West.
Campaigning is expected to intensify in the coming months, along with debates over the use of places of worship for political messaging.
Sources: Premium Times, Vanguard, The Sun.
