Catholic Priest leads congregation in song for Obi, Kwankwaso

A Catholic priest has been filmed leading worshippers in a church service in a song endorsing Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a video circulating on X, the priest is seen leading members of the congregation in singing a song rendered in Igbo, describing the NDC as a better political platform.

The priest sang: “Party Peter Obi ka mma; Party Kwankwaso, ka mma!” meaning “Peter Obi’s party is better; Kwankwaso’s party is better.” The video has drawn attention to the growing involvement of religious leaders in political conversations ahead of the 2027 elections, with some publicly expressing support for candidates while others have criticised particular political arrangements.

In August, Islamic cleric, Sani Jingir, reportedly urged Muslims to vote for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2027 election. Jingir made the call at a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, where he urged Muslims to vote in a manner that would reflect their numerical strength in the country. President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who are both Muslims, currently occupy the country’s two highest executive offices.

Nigeria has an informal tradition of balancing presidential tickets along religious lines, usually pairing a Muslim presidential candidate with a Christian running mate. Kwankwaso had condemned Jingir’s remarks in a post on X. In another development, the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) endorsed Tinubu for a second term in office. The endorsement was announced during the group’s 2026 synod in Abuja, attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

Representatives of the conference from the six geopolitical zones reportedly mandated its President-General, Leonard Kawas, to announce the decision. Kawas said the CBCN had members in 52 countries, including 950 canonical bishops in Nigeria. He recalled that the conference was among religious organisations that expressed concerns over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 general elections.

However, he said Tinubu had surprised the group through the appointment of Christians to key positions in his administration. According to him, the president had demonstrated an ability to accommodate Nigeria’s diversity. “We are here today to reassure him of our solid support. We are standing with him in prayers and advocacy for the good programmes he has brought forth for the liberation of Nigeria,” Kawas said.

“We stand with the president today, and as long as he is willing to be our president and even come in 2027, we will still be standing with him.”