STOP DIVISIVE PREACHING: GOVERNMENT MUST HOLD UNGUIDED RELIGIOUS LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE
The Analyst Editorial | National Unity, Religious Freedom and the Limits of Irresponsible Rhetoric
Nigeria stands at a critical point in its national development where every institution and influential voice must contribute to peace, stability and social cohesion. Religious institutions, in particular, occupy a unique position in Nigerian society because of the enormous influence they exercise over millions of citizens.
That influence comes with responsibility.
The government must therefore take a firm, lawful and impartial position against religious preaching that deliberately promotes hatred, incites hostility, spreads dangerous misinformation or deepens divisions among Nigerians.
This is not a call for the suppression of religion. It is not an argument against freedom of worship. Neither is it an attempt to prevent legitimate criticism of government or public policy.
It is a demand for responsible religious leadership in a country whose diversity requires restraint, wisdom and mutual respect.
When the Pulpit Becomes a Platform for Division
Nigeria's mosques, churches and other places of worship should be sanctuaries of moral instruction, compassion, reconciliation and hope.
Unfortunately, some religious personalities have increasingly used their platforms to make inflammatory statements capable of aggravating existing ethnic, political, regional and religious tensions.
Such conduct should concern every responsible Nigerian.
A statement made from a pulpit is not necessarily confined to the congregation that hears it. In the age of smartphones and social media, a controversial sermon can reach millions within hours, potentially transforming a local disagreement into a national controversy.
Where rhetoric crosses the line into incitement, threats or deliberate mobilisation against another community, the state cannot simply look away.
Religious Freedom Must Not Become a Licence for Incitement
Freedom of religion and freedom of expression are fundamental principles of democracy. They must be protected.
But democratic freedoms also operate within the framework of law and responsibility.
A religious leader has every right to preach his or her faith, defend religious beliefs, criticise government policies and participate in legitimate public discourse.
What should not be tolerated is the deliberate use of religious authority to encourage violence, demonise entire communities, spread fabricated claims or portray fellow citizens as enemies simply because of their faith, ethnicity or political affiliation.
The standard must be the same for everyone.
Whether the individual is a prominent Islamic scholar, Christian cleric, traditional religious figure or political actor, accountability should depend on conduct—not status.
Government Must Be Firm—but Must Not Become Repressive
The solution cannot be indiscriminate government censorship.
Any intervention must be guided by the Constitution, existing laws, due process and credible evidence.
Security and law-enforcement agencies should investigate credible allegations of incitement and other offences. Where evidence establishes criminal wrongdoing, the law should take its course.
However, government must equally resist the temptation to weaponise regulation against religious leaders because of their political opinions.
Selective enforcement would be counterproductive.
A government that punishes one religious voice while protecting another because of political affiliation risks transforming an already sensitive issue into another source of grievance.
The answer is equal justice and consistent enforcement of the law.
Religious Leaders Must Examine Their Own Responsibility
While government has a duty to protect public order, religious institutions must also regulate themselves.
Responsible Islamic and Christian leadership should have mechanisms for counselling, educating and, where necessary, disciplining members whose public conduct threatens communal harmony.
Nigeria needs religious leaders who understand that their words carry consequences.
The responsibility of a preacher is not merely to attract followers or generate attention. It is also to provide moral direction.
The most influential religious voices should therefore be the ones encouraging Nigerians to forgive, coexist, respect differences and resolve disagreements peacefully.
Political Manipulation of Religion Is Equally Dangerous
It would be incomplete to discuss divisive preaching without addressing the political environment in which it sometimes flourishes.
Politicians who exploit religious identity for electoral advantage contribute to the same problem.
When political competition is presented as a contest between religions or ethnic groups, religious rhetoric can easily become a political weapon.
Nigeria's political class must therefore examine its own conduct.
The country cannot demand responsible preaching from religious leaders while politicians continue to exploit identity politics whenever it serves their interests.
National unity requires consistency from everyone.
Nigeria Needs Bridge-Builders, Not Fire-Stokers
At a time when Nigerians are confronting insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, poverty and declining public trust, the country cannot afford influential voices constantly searching for new fault lines.
The mosque should not be a battlefield.
The church should not be a political war room.
Religious leadership should not become a mechanism for manufacturing enemies.
Nigeria needs bridge-builders.
It needs clerics who can condemn wrongdoing without demonising communities; scholars who can criticise government without inciting citizens against one another; and public intellectuals who can defend their beliefs while respecting the rights and dignity of those who hold different beliefs.
A National Responsibility
The Federal Government should strengthen engagement with major religious organisations, traditional institutions and civil society groups to develop effective mechanisms for preventing religious incitement.
Interfaith dialogue should be strengthened at both national and grassroots levels.
Community leaders should be empowered to identify tensions before they become crises.
The media also has a responsibility not to sensationalise inflammatory sermons merely because they generate clicks, views and engagement.
Every stakeholder must recognise that national peace is more valuable than viral content.
The Bottom Line
Nigeria's religious diversity should be an asset, not a trigger for perpetual division.
Government must protect religious freedom while firmly enforcing laws against incitement, threats and criminal conduct.
Religious leaders, for their part, must recognise that spiritual influence comes with profound social responsibility.
No preacher should be above the law.
No government should be above the Constitution.
And no Nigerian should be made an enemy simply because of his or her faith.
The country needs religious preaching that heals, educates and unites—not rhetoric that inflames, divides and endangers lives.
The time has come for government, religious institutions and political leaders to draw a clear line between freedom of faith and the reckless abuse of religious influence.
Nigeria must choose unity over division—and responsible leadership over inflammatory rhetoric.