The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has fired a warning shot at politicians and their supporters ahead of the 2027 elections: Stop dragging Jesus Christ into partisan political battles.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, issued the warning on Wednesday following the controversy surrounding remarks attributed to Peter Obi supporter and social activist Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee.
The controversy erupted after a video circulated in which Mama Pee was heard arguing that Peter Obi could defeat any politician in a free and fair election, with a reference to Jesus Christ also featuring in the remark.
The video, which resurfaced on social media in recent days, triggered accusations of blasphemy and heated reactions. Mama Pee subsequently denied that she intended to blaspheme Jesus, claiming that the circulating version of the video had been edited and taken out of context.
She also announced that she would step back from active participation in the 2027 campaign, while maintaining her support for Obi.
Reacting to the uproar, Okoh cautioned Christians and political actors against allowing political loyalty to cross the line into irreverence.
According to him, political supporters are free to campaign for their preferred candidates, but the name of Jesus should not become ammunition in political arguments.
Okoh stressed that Jesus Christ should never be presented as a political candidate, campaign slogan or weapon for attacking an opponent.
He also warned against elevating politicians to a position reserved for God, regardless of how popular or admired they may be.
CAN said Nigerians were free to support or criticise any politician, including Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu, but political passion should not erode respect for Christian beliefs.
The association urged politicians and their supporters to take their arguments to the real issues confronting the country — competence, character, policies, performance, insecurity, the economy and Nigeria’s future.
Okoh further warned against portraying politicians as “messiahs”, stressing that no candidate or political party should be treated as the answer to humanity’s spiritual salvation.
He said no election victory was worth compromising the honour attached to the name of Jesus Christ.
The CAN president therefore appealed to politicians, their supporters and Nigerians to tone down inflammatory political exchanges as the country moves towards another fiercely contested election.
His message was clear: Support whoever you want, campaign as hard as you can — but leave Jesus Christ out of the political mudfight.
MAMA PEE CONTROVERSY
The CAN warning comes amid renewed attention on Mama Pee, a prominent Peter Obi supporter.
The activist and another Obi supporter, Peter Akah, were questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in July over allegations of naira abuse. Their lawyer said the money referenced in the investigation was prop money used for entertainment and not genuine naira notes.
Mama Pee has remained an outspoken supporter of Obi ahead of the 2027 election, but the resurfaced Jesus-related video has now sparked a fresh controversy around the role of religion and political loyalty in Nigeria’s increasingly heated political discourse.
With the 2027 race gathering momentum, CAN’s intervention is a call for politicians and their supporters to keep political battles focused on policies and performance rather than turning religious figures and beliefs into campaign weapons.
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