The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has urged Nigerians to reject vote-buying and vote-selling ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that such practices undermine democracy and the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
The President of the CBCN, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, gave the charge on Sunday in Osogbo, Osun State, while addressing the opening session of the conference’s second plenary meeting hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo.
Ndagoso, who is also the Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, expressed concern over growing public distrust in the electoral process and fears that votes may not count in future elections.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to build on recent improvements and ensure that the 2027 elections are free, fair, transparent and credible.
The cleric said restoring confidence in the electoral process was critical to increasing voter participation and strengthening Nigeria’s democratic credentials.
“This should place our country on the path of international respect and integrity. There is a need to ensure that voters’ cards are easily available to all eligible voters, removing any obstacles and helping to culminate in election results that reflect the true choice of the people,” he said.
Ndagoso warned that anything short of credible elections in 2027 would amount to a disservice to the country.
He also appealed to political leaders to put the national interest above personal and partisan considerations, while encouraging eligible Nigerians to participate actively in the elections and vote for candidates of their choice.
The CBCN president commended the conduct of the recent Osun State off-cycle election, describing it as a source of renewed hope for the country’s democratic process.
He noted that the election was adjudged free and fair by observers and analysts, expressing optimism that the experience would be replicated during the 2027 general elections.
“What happened in Osun elections has given a glimmer of hope and confidence to many Nigerians. We hope it is a good sign of better things to come in the 2027 General Elections,” he said.
Ndagoso called on Catholic faithful and all Nigerians of goodwill to approach the 2027 elections with a well-informed conscience and resist political patronage and cynicism.
“We call upon and encourage our lay faithful and indeed all people of goodwill to reject vote-selling and buying, and resist the temptation of political cronyism and cynicism,” he added.
He further praised the people of Osun State for participating in the election and protecting their votes, saying the experience demonstrated that credible elections were possible in Nigeria.
“You came out, voted and guarded your votes to ensure that they count, and they counted. It happened in Osun; it can happen elsewhere and everywhere in our country,” he said.
In his remarks, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, acknowledged the Catholic Church’s longstanding contributions to Nigeria’s development, particularly in education, healthcare, human-capacity development and peace-building.
Adeleke urged the church to intensify prayers for peaceful and successful 2027 general elections, noting that the church remained an important stakeholder in electoral peace-building.
“As much as the Catholic Church is on the front line of electoral peacebuilding, we need divine intervention to secure the nation and the political process,” the governor said.
