Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has stirred reactions after mounting the stage at a Christian concert in Minna to sing gospel songs, including one with the refrain, “I’m a new creation, I’m born again.”
Bago, a Muslim, joined Christian worshippers at the eighth edition of SHOUT, an annual gospel music concert organised by House On The Rock Minna at the Trade Fair Complex on Friday.
In a video that has gone viral, the governor was seen enthusiastically singing three Christian songs, including I’m a New Creation, May the Spirit of the Lord Come Down and the popular hymn Hold the Fort.
He particularly caught attention while singing the lyrics, “I’m a new creation, I’m born again. All things have passed away. I’m born again. That’s who I am.”
Addressing the congregation, Bago described the occasion as a season of celebration and urged worshippers to rejoice.
The concert, convened by Pastor Peterock Sadiq, also featured renowned preacher Apostle Joshua Selman and other guest ministers.
However, Bago’s appearance was not his first at the Christian gathering. According to House On The Rock Minna, the governor has supported the Christian community and attended SHOUT for four years, missing only the seventh edition.
The church also dismissed suggestions that his presence was politically motivated, describing it as a continuation of his relationship with the Christian community.
Bago has repeatedly used previous editions of the concert to preach religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Niger State.
At the 2024 edition, he urged residents to embrace unity regardless of their religious differences, insisting that peaceful coexistence was necessary for development.
Similarly, during the 2023 edition, the governor said he attended the gathering to thank God for his victory in the governorship election. He also urged religious leaders to use their pulpits to promote peace rather than division.
The governor had earlier spoken about his exposure to Christianity during his education at a missionary school, stressing that the experience did not affect his Islamic faith.
Speaking at a public lecture in Abuja in May 2024, Bago maintained that nobody should be forced to embrace any religion, calling for mutual respect among people of different faiths.
Bago was elected governor in March 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and assumed office on May 29, 2023.
A former member of the House of Representatives representing Chanchaga Federal Constituency, he is popularly known as the “Farmer Governor” because of his administration’s emphasis on agricultural development.
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