The Christian factor in 2015 Presidential Election

It was with great joy I received the announcement that General Muhammed Buhari, All People’s Congress (APC) presidential aspirant chose Professor Yemi Osinbajo as vice presidential running mate for the 2015 presidential election. Though under the guidance and anointing of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who withdrew himself from consideration on the presidential ticket of the party, described his move as a patriotic duty and personal contribution towards rescuing Nigeria from the clutches of poverty which he said the ruling government had plunged the country.

That’s another topic for another day how the PDP under President Goodluck Jonathan has fared in delivering the promises made to Nigerians. My interest today is the emergence of Osinbajo as the number two man for Buhari. Their task is to wrestle the instruments of power from the present administration and the onus is on Nigerians to vote for their choice of candidates. But the Osinbajo emergence is a clear prove that religion is among the chief plausible that can actually deliver block votes in an election in Nigeria. The Nigerian case is a proof that one might not just be as good as the best or better than the best but your religious affiliation or beliefs might just be a support base.

Osinbajo is a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor in Lagos, where it is believed they have the largest congregation of Christians in the country. On paper, Osinbajo should get a sizable votes of Christians considering he’s a senior pastor and an associate of Pastor E.A Adeboye, the General Overseer of the church. Though the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has denied that the church endorsed the aspiration of one of its pastors, Prof. Yemi Osibajo, as the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

Osinbajo pastors the Olive branch of the RCCG on Banana Island, Lagos, has said he has the blessings of Pastor Adeboye.  Adeboye, while reacting to the subtle endorsement of Osibajo by a Twitter handle: @rccgworldwide, presumed to be the official Twitter handle of the RCCG, denounced the page.

Though Adeboye has never supported any candidate in time past, same like other mega church pastors but it is time they present blueprints for Christian politicians who seek the church's blessings in whatever guise. There is nothing wrong for the church to identify with a candidate or policy especially when you don’t use the church as a campaign tool for any political party or candidate.

Christians as we all know are when rightly informed and motivated, change the character of political debate. They bring the moral standards of God’s kingdom into the civic realm and thereby become agents of His common grace — of His provision for those who believe as well as those who don’t. The church I mean the Christians should be able to use the opportunity having a Christian incumbent president and a Christian vice presidential aspirant to present an agenda for a change for the good of Nigeria. The church should bring the God’s standard into society as we have suffered too much corruption and stealing from supposed Christians in high offices including Muslims, but my focus is on Christians be it in political offices, private or public offices. One wonders what exactly the church has done to curb these excesses. Is it that the gospel is not preached effectively for people to sincerely convert to better persons for society?

 People are no longer their brother’s keeper, they steal and sleep with each other’s wives in reference to Obasanjo's book "My watch", and how political officers flirt with each other’s wives. Of course I and you know some of these rogues are Christians who attend churches.

We need the church to be the shining light in politics and help change the system for better. The church should task Goodluck Jonathan and General Buhari ahead of the 2015 elections, since the pulpit is where some of them will still come for special anointing and Holy Spirit direction to win an election. There is no time to seat on the fence and wait after the deed is done and task millions of Christians to go on 40-day dry fasting to heal the land. Let’s act now and save the church from becoming a laughing stock in the polity. The prayers of the saint have sustained the country to where we are at today but it is enough to always pray for change when the instruments of change can be used to instill change.

Christians in Nigeria, then, must enter politics because the Church conveys moral values. As the late James Boice once wrote, “Religious people are … the only citizens who actually advance the nation in the direction of justice and true righteousness.” Christianity not only provides for individual concerns, but for the ordering of a society with liberty and justice for all. Christianity provides both a transcendent moral influence and a transcendent ordering of society without an oppressive theocratic system.

Society’s well-being, then, depends on a robust religious influence. We don’t need more laws, Boice stated, arguing that without a moral citizenry even existing laws can be used immorally. The nation needs people willing to live by God’s moral laws. That’s the only way to retard evil’s advance. It’s also how the moral standards of God’s kingdom gain ground and community life becomes packaged in the image and likeness of the heavenly city.

Civil government benefits from a community of people whose lives testify to God’s standard according to Bible teachings.  The whole of human society requires a community that believes some things are right and some wrong, and which adheres to the God-given wisdom that pervades all creation (see Proverbs 8 and Proverbs 22).

Christians are restraining influence in any society. If injustice, corruption and insecurity are the problems of our society and Christians are not talking about it then we are in serious problem. Contrary to popular belief it is not government that is to promulgate moral vision for society. That duty belongs to other social institutions, especially the Church. When the state steps beyond the bounds of its intended authority, the Church becomes a veritable source of moral resistance.  But it doesn't resist for its own sake; it doesn't resist gathering power or broadening its own following; it resists for the common good. As Christians — those in government as well as those outside — should bring their Christian conscience, into the main polity. Christians needed to be involved, not to force their godly life or morals onto society as a whole, but to advocate for justice, show respect for life, and support the poor.