Freedom of speech, expression, and association is the constitutional right of every citizen of a country. The right to vote and be voted for are also inalienable rights of every citizens.
Clergymen are not exempted from these rights despite the religious position they hold and the expectation from the public and followers to be above board.
It is expected that a cleric should not be biased in judgment. In politics, they are equally expected to maintain a position of neutrality and statesmanship by not favouring any particular political party or publicly endorsing a politician.
Some clerics make predictions during elections and for their efforts they receive insults especially when their predictions do not come through.
In times past, some clerics have dabbled into politics, but their stories at the end of the adventure are usually not encouraging. Even when people tend to ‘understand’ and accommodate when politicians do not live up to expectation, they are not that accommodating with clerics.
Given the pedestal on which clergy men are placed and the way politics is played in the country, is it right for clerics to be involved in politics?
Pst. Luck Richard of the Church of His Awesome Presence located at 8, Adebisi Close, off Makinde Street, Ashipa-Ayobo road; Lagos said that there was nothing wrong with clergymen getting involved in politics even though they are bound to face some challenges in their profession.
“A clergyman as a public servant is bound to uphold justice and equity in all ramifications and in situations whereby he needs to bend rules to fit a negative or unjust purpose and he refuses, he will be wrongly accused.” He recalled some clergymen who in the past had been involved in politics and succeeded, citing the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. as example.
Richard noted that clerics being involved in politics can use their offices to effect positive change. He therefore suggested that clergymen could contest for positions such as Councillorship, Local Government Chairmanship, Senate or either House of Assembly or representatives, but insisted that a person must be schooled enough to know all that is happening around him so as to be able to run both offices well without partiality.
Pst. Vincent Uwadiae, Senior Pastor of Heaven Extension Bible Church situated at 7, Jimoh Ganiu Street, off Ashipa-Ayobo road, Lagos, said that, governance shouldn’t be left in the hands of unbelievers therefore; clergymen to a large extent have roles to play in helping to sharpen governance, make good legislations that would be in the interest of the nation. “A clergyman getting involved in politics is not bad but may be conceived as favouring only the believers,” he said.
Uwadiae noted cleric covers religious leaders of other beliefs and not only Christians as some people may erroneously believe. Among all the religions, he said there were those willing and capable of steering the wheels of this nation, adding, “but looking at the dirtiness of politics in Nigeria, many religious leaders tend to shy away or turn deaf ears towards it.”
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The clergy man advocated that more Christians should get involved in politics so as to bring to bear the charisma and leadership qualities they display at their various assemblies and strongly adviced that they shouldn’t be partial and also desist from favouring a particular group just to be in the good record book of some people. “Any religious person going into politics should be ready to serve and not to be served, also to see the political office he/she is occupying as a call to service and not an avenue to steal and enrich his/her ministry,” he said.
The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, recently frowned at one of its own, Fr. Mbaka for his political comments and actions and cautioned all priests to stay away from partisan politics and endorsement of candidates for political offices.
Religious/Clergies can advise, criticise and admonish political office holders and can also instruct them on how best they can lead the people in a more civilized and constructive manner rather than being partisan.
In as much as it is given that religious men are at liberty to participate in partisan politics, and some have, the political system in the country has not matured to the extent that a cleric can be part of it and remain untainted.
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