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September 20, 2026
Nigerian bishops pair prayer with a push for credible 2027 elections
Nigeria’s Catholic bishops frame the 2027 elections as both a civic and moral test: voters should participate conscientiously, political actors should protect the integrity of the process, and public policy should not constrain institutions serving vulnerable communities.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has designated December 8, 2026, as a national day of prayer and fasting for the country’s 2027 general elections, linking spiritual preparation to a call for a free, fair and credible vote.
The bishops’ position is not limited to religious observance. They urged eligible Nigerians to vote in large numbers for qualified candidates, saying choices should be guided by conscience. “We encourage eligible voters to turn out en masse to vote for qualified persons for office and according to their good consciences,” the conference said after its September plenary assembly.1
Their proposed preparations combine parish-based civic education and voter mobilisation with month-end prayer and fasting, as well as rosary processions from October through December. The stated aim is to encourage participation while fostering a peaceful and just electoral climate.
The bishops also place technology at the centre of their election concerns. While presenting digital tools and artificial intelligence as potentially useful for evangelisation and knowledge-sharing, they warn that their political use requires ethical restraint. “Technology is not inherently evil or antagonistic to humanity, but it is never neutral,” they said, urging politicians and other users to act responsibly.2
Alongside their electoral appeal, the conference connected democratic credibility with broader institutional conditions. It called on government to meet its constitutional responsibility to fund education, arguing that free access—especially at primary and secondary level—supports human development and peaceful integration across Nigeria’s diverse communities.
The bishops also opposed proposed legislation governing foreign aid to nonprofit organisations. In their view, new registration and oversight powers could add bureaucracy and allow authorities excessive discretion to deny or renew registrations on “national interest” grounds. They argue that existing corporate regulation already covers churches, mosques and humanitarian bodies, and that additional controls could hinder assistance to conflict-affected and vulnerable communities.1