When God and Politics Become Weapons: How Religion and Partisanship Are Tearing Nigeria Apart

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“Instead of joining hands against poverty, insecurity and corruption, we sharpen knives on each other and the country pays the price.”

Nigeria is a nation of staggering possibilities and stubborn contradictions. We boast a youthful population, vast natural resources and a diaspora that outshines our reputation abroad. Yet at home we fritter away those assets on what should be the least important of all contests, who prays where and who sits on which party stool. Religion and partisan politics (two forces that could bind a plural society) have instead been weaponised, turning colleagues into enemies, constituencies into battlefields and public life into a theatre of suspicion. The result is predictable: a state weaker, a society poorer and citizens dead or displaced in numbers that shame our claim to civilisation.

Religion in Nigeria is not a neutral private comfort; it is a civic force with mass reach. Roughly half the population identifies as Muslim and half as Christian, a demography that should encourage humility, compromise and inclusive institutions. Instead, the balance has been treated as a truncheon to be wielded in elections, appointments and policy fights. When political actors make faith a litmus test for office or weaponise clergy prophecies to mobilise followers, they tear at the fragile fabric of citizenship and convert theological difference into permanent political danger. Pew’s recent work shows how religion remains central to identity in Nigeria and that fact matters for how power is contested.

The violence that follows is not theoretical. Over the past decade the country has witnessed waves of communal and sectarian brutality whose proximate causes range from climate-driven land pressures to criminal banditry, yet their lines are often drawn in religious or ethnic ink. Farmer–herder clashes, concentrated in the Middle Belt, have killed thousands and spread fear across farming communities. By 2021, more than 15,000 deaths had been linked to these clashes; local outbreaks since then, including mass attacks in Benue and other states, have shown the crisis is escalating. When disputes over grazing corridors and farmland are narrated as religious persecution, innocent farmers and herders alike are pushed into cycles of revenge.

Terrorist insurgency adds a gnawing dimension. Boko Haram and ISWAP not only killed tens of thousands and displaced millions in the northeast – they also turned religion into a cover for brutal politics. The consequences are not confined to the northeast; they ripple into national politics, inform security policy and feed identity-based suspicion across the federation. Civilians pay the heaviest price: thousands dead, millions uprooted and whole local economies hollowed out. The humanitarian cost is matched by an economic toll: insecurity destroys farms, distracts investment and raises the fiscal burden for a government already addicted to borrowing.

Politics has itself become a theatre of religious signalling. The 2023 presidential campaign, for example, exposed how fragile the country’s equilibrium is when parties abandon long-standing practices of balance for short-term electoral gain. The Muslim–Muslim ticket controversy (whether you call it tactical realpolitik or cynical disregard for plural representation) sharpened sectarian anxieties and showed how quickly trust can dissipate if inclusiveness is not defended as a principle. When political entrepreneurs calculate that religion will win them votes, they sell the nation out for partisan advantage.

This is not mere moralising: it is practical. When citizens see appointments, licences, policing, or access to relief routed through faith-based networks, trust in state institutions collapses. Governance then survives on patronage, not performance. Public resources are diverted to cronies and co-religionists; laws meant to protect the vulnerable are mangled by selective enforcement; and civic identity (the idea that every Nigerian is first a citizen) is subordinated to narrower loyalties. The consequence is political fragmentation at a time the state most requires unity to confront existential threats: poverty, inflation, climate shocks and violent non-state actors.

We can (and must) do better. The remedy begins with a hard embrace of secular citizenship: not anti-religion, but neutral public institutions that treat faith as a private domain while guaranteeing equal protection for all. This means transparent appointments, rigorous anti-corruption enforcement and the depoliticisation of security agencies. It means enforcing anti-violence laws impartially and prosecuting those who inflame religious passions for personal gain. It also means strengthening local conflict-resolution mechanisms: where grazing corridors or land rights cause friction, the state must mediate fairly and invest in alternatives (ranching, irrigation and effective land registration) instead of amplifying blame. Research from scholars like Jibrin Ibrahim has repeatedly shown that high religiosity in Nigeria coexists with weak civic practices and that addressing the structural drivers of conflict is essential for reconciliation.

Religious leaders, too, have a duty. This is not a call to silencing the pulpit; it is an appeal for courage. Wole Soyinka’s insistence that human liberty must come before sectarian barricades (and his famous rebuke that religion must not be allowed to prevent rational national thinking) is not literary flourish; it is ethical strategy. Clerics and imams must preach restraint and publicly rebuke those who weaponise faith. Where religious leaders use congregations to amplify division, they forfeit moral authority and become accomplices to national decay.

Finally, ordinary citizens must reclaim civic courage. Unity is not uniformity. It is the will to disagree without dehumanising. It is the daily practice of treating a neighbour who prays differently as deserving of decency, equal opportunity and security. Civil society, universities, the media and the private sector must amplify narratives of shared destiny over slogans of exclusion. International partners can help, but the solution must be homegrown: layered, patient and relentless.

Nigeria’s enemies are not each other; they are hunger, poor governance, climate shocks and violent actors who exploit our divisions. To fight them effectively we must stop seeing religion and party membership as identity armour and start seeing them as private commitments that do not disqualify one from the public good. If we do not, the nation will continue to fracture, not along neat ideological lines, but in human terms: widows, orphans, ruined farms and shuttered schools. That is an indictment we cannot afford.

We owe future generations a country where difference does not mean danger. The work is ugly and difficult (reforming institutions, enforcing law and recalibrating moral leadership) but it is the only honest path forward. As Soyinka warned, the moral imagination of a people determines the life they will lead. Let us choose a Nigeria that puts humanity first, and religion and politics in their proper, constructive place.

Lagos Assembly confirms receipt of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s request to present 2026 budget

…nullifies LASPAA GM nominee’s appointment

The Lagos State House of Assembly has confirmed receipt of the request from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to schedule a substantive date for the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

During the plenary session on Monday, November 17, presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s letter, which outlines a proposed total budget estimate of ₦4.237 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year, was read on the floor of the House by the Clerk, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko,

In his letter, Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed his appreciation for the sustained collaboration and constructive engagement between the executive and the Obasa-led assembly, adding, “The unwavering support of this House has been instrumental in driving our development agenda and delivering key initiatives that continue to improve the quality of life across Lagos State.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu added that these collective efforts have strengthened governance, enhanced public trust, and ensured steady progress in fulfilling their shared mandate to the people of Lagos. The governor has proposed a total budget estimate of ₦4.237 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year, with Internally Generated Revenue expected to contribute N3. 119trillion while federal transfers of N874billion are expected. The recurrent expenditure is pegged at N2. 048trillion while capital expenditure is N2. 188trillion.

According to the governor, “This represents a 25% increase over the Y2025 Revised Budget and reflects our confidence in the capacity of the state to achieve its developmental ambitions.” Thereafter, he asked that the House fix a favourable date for the formal presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

Responding, Speaker Obasa welcomed the governor’s communication and highlighted the responsibility of the Assembly to engage in thorough deliberations.

“As we prepare to discuss this substantial budget proposal, it is imperative that we consider the aspirations of our constituents and ensure that our decisions align with their needs,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, during the plenary, the House also nullified the nomination of Mrs. Adebisi Adelabu as the General Manager of the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPAA).

Presenting the report of the 12-Man Ad hoc Committee on Screening of the Nominees, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Mojeed Fatai, explained that Mrs. Adebisi had been functioning in the capacity of General Manager since 2021 without ever appearing before the House for the constitutionally required confirmation. He stressed that this breach of legislative procedure was a key factor in the committee’s recommendation for the nullification of her appointment.

Following deliberations, and in accordance with Section 92 of the Lagos State Transport Reform Law, the House adopted the committee’s recommendation and formally nullified her nomination.

However, the Assembly confirmed the nominations of Mrs. Adeyemo Khadijat as the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, and Mrs. Adepoju Adebajo as the chairman, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).

Speaker Obasa commended the Ad Hoc Committee for its diligence and reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to due process, accountability, and the appointment of only qualified and properly screened individuals to positions of public trust for the benefit of all Lagosians.

Matawalle Delivers President Tinubu’s Message to Nigerian Troops in Zamfara

…Vows to End Remnants of Bandits in Northwest

The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has delivered a strong message from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA at the North-West Theatre Command Headquarters in Gusau, Zamfara State, charging them to completely eliminate the remaining remnants of bandits terrorising the region.

Speaking on Friday shortly after observing Juma’at prayers at the Command Mosque, Dr. Matawalle conveyed President Tinubu’s deep appreciation for the troops’ patriotism, courage, and remarkable successes in decimating bandit formations across the Northwest.

“Mr. President specifically asked me to tell you that you have done exceedingly well,” he said.

“Most of the key bandit leaders and their foot soldiers have been neutralised through your gallant effort.

“What remains now are a few scattered elements, and the Commander-in-Chief has directed that these remnants must be wiped out completely.

“He assures you of every necessary support — logistics, equipment, welfare, and morale — to finish the job.”

Dr. Matawalle, who was received on arrival by the Theatre Commander, Major-General Warrah Bello Idris, praised the troops for their resilience and professionalism, describing their sacrifices as the bedrock of the gradual return of peace to Zamfara and neighbouring states.

He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to providing all required resources, including enhanced welfare packages, modern platforms, and real-time intelligence, to sustain the momentum of the counter-insurgency campaign.

The Theatre Commander, Major-General Idris, welcomed the ministerial visit as a morale booster and a clear demonstration of President Tinubu’s personal interest in the welfare and operational success of troops in the Northwest.

During an operational briefing, the Minister was updated on recent successes, including the neutralisation of high-value targets and the reclamation of several communities previously under bandit control.

In a direct address to hundreds of officers and soldiers drawn up on the parade ground, Dr. Matawalle charged them to remain vigilant, disciplined, and focused, stressing that total victory over banditry in the Northwest is now within reach.

“Your sacrifices will never be in vain. The President is proud of you, the nation is proud of you, and very soon, the people of this region will sleep with their two eyes closed,” he declared.

With the dry season operations intensifying, security analysts believe the renewed presidential backing and ministerial reassurance will galvanise troops towards delivering a decisive blow that will finally end the decade-long banditry scourge in Nigeria’s Northwest.