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The Presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International, Pastor Femi Emmanuel, has criticised the growing involvement of church leaders in partisan political debates, saying many pastors speak on governance despite having little understanding of how politics works.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News on Wednesday, Emmanuel said many clerics genuinely care about Nigeria but often comment on political matters without sufficient knowledge of governance and public policy.
‘Many pastors are ignorant about politics’
According to the cleric, most pastors are passionate about the country’s progress but lack practical political experience.
“My people, fellow pastors, fellow general overseers, they are very passionate about this country. They work hard, they believe in this country, they love this country. But when it comes to politics, they are completely ignorant.”
He argued that many religious leaders criticise government policies from outside the political process instead of participating in governance.
“You are not where laws are made, you are not where policies are implemented, but you are shouting from the pulpit. That is shouting from the back of the fence.”
Religious tickets do not guarantee benefits, says Emmanuel
Pastor Emmanuel also addressed the long-running debate over Muslim-Muslim and Christian-Muslim presidential tickets, insisting that the religious identity of political office holders does not automatically benefit Christians or the church.
Referring to the 2019 general election, he cited former Vice President Pastor Yemi Osinbajo’s tenure under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
“All this talk of Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Christian, I ask them, in 2019 it was not just a Christian-Muslim ticket, it was a Christian pastor ticket. Our brother and friend, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo, very cerebral, very brilliant, very outspoken. But what did he bring to the body of Christ as a church?”
He further argued that the Nigerian Constitution gives the Vice President limited powers.
“Our constitution says the vice president is a spare tyre. So what Christians are arguing for is, ‘We want a vice president.’ What would that bring to the church? Nothing. We are Nigerians.”
Christians urged to participate in grassroots politics
The former Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, who served between 1992 and 1993, encouraged Christians, youths and other Nigerians to become active participants in grassroots politics instead of relying solely on prayers and sermons.
He stressed that political influence begins at the ward level.
“Political fathers, their power is the ward. That’s where you and I should go. That’s where the corporate majority should go. That is where the youth should invade. That is where the church community should invade.”
Pastor Emmanuel also challenged the belief that prayer alone can resolve Nigeria’s political challenges, urging citizens to engage directly in the political process.
On pastors who publicly predicted election winners and claimed to have received divine revelations, he dismissed such declarations as evidence of ignorance.
“They don’t know. Ignorance.”
When reminded that some clerics maintained they heard directly from God, he responded:
“Well, you know, where you there when they heard from God, anybody can claim to hear from God.”
Watch the video here…
Muslim-Muslim Ticket: “Many GOs Are Completely Ignorant of Politics” -Pastor Femi Emmanuel
Did the Church get it wrong in the 2023 elections?
Pastor Femi Emmanuel says many General Overseers are passionate about Nigeria but are completely ignorant of politics.…
— INSIGHT BY OPPY MEDIA (@InsightbyOppy) July 16, 2026