Catholic Bishops Warn Political Leaders Against Manipulating 2027 Elections

ABUJA — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has issued a strong warning to political leaders against using state institutions to influence the 2027 general elections, cautioning that any attempt to undermine the electoral process could further weaken public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.

In a communiqué released at the end of its First Plenary Meeting in Abuja, the bishops said governments at all levels must resist the temptation to “win at all costs” through the alleged misuse of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the judiciary. They argued that democracy can only thrive when elections genuinely reflect the will of the people.

The bishops expressed concern over what they described as persistent electoral malpractice in Nigeria, pointing to vote buying, voter intimidation, falsification of results, artificial scarcity of electoral materials and the inclusion of fictitious names in voter registers as practices that have repeatedly undermined confidence in elections. They said such irregularities have contributed to growing voter apathy and declining participation in the democratic process.

Citing data from INEC, the CBCN noted that only 23% of registered voters participated in the 2023 general elections, while turnout in the recent Federal Capital Territory council elections reportedly dropped to just 7%. The bishops described the trend as alarming, warning that dwindling voter participation raises serious questions about the legitimacy of elected leaders.

To restore public confidence, the conference urged the National Assembly to revisit electoral reforms and make the real-time electronic transmission of results from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal mandatory. According to the bishops, reducing human interference in result management is critical to ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.

Beyond the electoral process, the bishops linked Nigeria’s broader governance challenges to poor political leadership. They said corruption, insecurity, unemployment and deepening poverty have eroded citizens’ confidence in public institutions despite the country’s vast human and natural resources. The communiqué also called for stronger action against illegal mining, oil theft and insecurity, including the deployment of drones and artificial intelligence to improve surveillance in remote areas.

The warning comes as political activity gradually intensifies ahead of the 2027 elections, with major parties already positioning themselves for what is expected to be another fiercely contested presidential race. Religious leaders have increasingly urged politicians to embrace issue-based campaigns while rejecting the weaponization of ethnicity, religion and state power.

For the Catholic bishops, the stakes extend beyond the next election. Their message is that Nigeria’s democratic future depends not simply on holding polls, but on safeguarding institutions that guarantee every vote counts. Without credible elections, they warn, public trust, and the legitimacy of democratic governance itself, will continue to erode.