- Kenneth Okonkwo urged Christians to become more active in politics
- He backed bishops’ concerns over Nigeria’s political situation
- He called for Christian representation in the presidency
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has called on Nigerian Christians to take a more active role in politics, urging them to adopt what he described as a “liberation theology approach” to help address the country’s challenges.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Okonkwo made the call on Sunday while reacting to concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) during its meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on July 28, 2026.
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The bishops, led by the Archbishop of Kaduna, Matthew Ndagoso, reportedly discussed Nigeria’s political situation, insecurity and economic hardship during the meeting.
According to Okonkwo, the Catholic leaders expressed concern that those close to the President might be giving him an overly positive assessment of the situation in the country.
He said the bishops warned that insecurity remained a major challenge and that the economic situation had yet to significantly improve the lives of vulnerable Nigerians.
Okonkwo said the bishops were particularly worried about the possibility of Nigeria moving towards a one-party system, alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could deploy its influence and resources to dominate future elections.
He also said the bishops expressed reservations about the credibility of the 2027 general elections, warning that Nigerians could be denied meaningful representation even if the polls were formally conducted as free and fair elections.
Supporting the bishops’ concerns, Okonkwo argued that Christians should no longer remain on the sidelines of Nigeria’s political affairs.
“Christians in Nigeria must up their political games. They must adopt the liberation theology approach to rescue Nigeria,” he said.
He linked the concept to the biblical example of Jesus Christ challenging corruption and confronting leaders whose actions were considered unjust.
According to Okonkwo, Christians should regard participation in governance as part of their responsibility to society and should seek opportunities to influence political decisions.
He argued that Nigeria’s security and economic difficulties showed the consequences of what he described as a failure to uphold Christian values in governance.
The ADC chieftain further called for greater political representation for Christians at the highest level of government.
He said the time had come for Christians to seek representation in the presidency, either through the President or Vice President, as part of efforts to influence the direction of the country.
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