The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political actors against manipulating the 2027 general elections, insisting that the will of voters must prevail.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria also urged Nigerians to reject voter apathy, turn out in large numbers and ensure their votes count during the elections.
The bishops made the call on Sunday at the opening Mass of the second 2026 Plenary Meeting of the CBCN, held at St Benedict Cathedral, Osogbo, Osun State.
Speaking at the event, CBCN President and Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, urged the President, governors, ministers, National Assembly members and local government chairmen to provide a level playing field for all political actors.
Ndagoso specifically tasked INEC with improving on its performance during the recent Osun governorship election and ensuring that the 2027 polls are transparent, free, fair and credible.
“Conducting credible elections is within our power,” he said, stressing that the Federal and state governments must also intensify efforts to secure the country, tackle hunger and restore citizens’ confidence in government.
The archbishop said Nigeria had the resources to provide a better life for its citizens, lamenting that the major challenge remained the lack of political will.
He noted that despite flawed, violent and frustrating elections, Nigerians had continued to embrace democracy rather than demand a return to military rule.
Ndagoso expressed concern over growing distrust in the electoral process, warning that fears of manipulation could discourage citizens from participating in elections.
He said Nigerians were simply demanding that INEC deliver elections that were free, fair and credible.
The CBCN president also called on INEC to ensure that voter cards were readily available to eligible citizens and remove every barrier capable of disenfranchising voters.
“Anything short of transparent, free, fair and credible elections in 2027 would be a serious disservice to our country,” he warned.
Ndagoso urged politicians to place national interest above personal ambition, while calling on voters not to sell their votes or allow themselves to be recruited for thuggery and electoral violence.
In his homily, the Catholic Bishop of Osogbo Diocese, Most Rev. John Oyejola, challenged political leaders to change their approach to governance and improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
Oyejola questioned why Nigerians continued to experience hunger “in the midst of plenty” and urged politicians to shun violence while providing a level playing field ahead of the 2027 elections.
He warned that political power obtained through violence, fraud, manipulation or intimidation would have grave consequences.
“If you subvert the will of the people, you may deceive institutions, you may intimidate communities, you may manipulate processes, but you cannot deceive the Almighty God,” Oyejola said.
The bishop also condemned vote-buying, saying, “a society cannot rise when its people trade their destiny for temporary gains.”
Also, the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty, urged Nigerians not to succumb to voter apathy but to remain actively engaged in the democratic process.
Crotty, who represents the Pope in Nigeria, said active citizen participation was essential to ensuring that votes count and democracy delivers a better future for the country.
“The most important part is for citizens to be engaged in the democratic process, to make their votes count and use the democratic process to build up the future of Nigerian society,” he said.
