Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. The Chairman of the Borno State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Reverend John Bakeni, has called on Christians in northeastern Nigeria to actively join the political process. Speaking on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 2:16 pm West African Time (WAT, GMT+1) during the third Gwoza Christian National Conference in the city of Maiduguri, Borno State, the religious leader rejected the popular belief that politics is inherently corrupt. He noted that the absence of Christians from the political arena has severely limited their access to representation and government appointments in the region.
Okay News reports that Bakeni emphasized the need for believers to bring their moral principles into public office. “The issue of Christian participation in politics has been an issue of great concern for us in the state,” Bakeni stated. He clarified that the nature of governance is shaped by the individuals involved, rather than the system itself. “If you have the disposition that politics is unsafe and that it is a dirty game, it is wrong. Politics is not a dirty game; rather, it is a system of governance,” he explained.
He challenged the audience to change the system from the inside. “How can you call it dirty? It is those who participate that make it dirty. That is why, as a Christian, you should get involved by bringing your charisma and Christian values so that you can go in and sanitise it,” he said. The cleric described the current level of Christian involvement in the state government as disappointing. “Given the whole scenario, you will see that there are very few Christians who are being appointed to political offices. But to say the truth, Christians are not participating as they should in politics,” he added. He concluded that engaging in the democratic process is a fundamental civic duty. “We are in a democratic system of governance, so political participation is not an option, but an act of fulfilling one’s civic responsibility,” Bakeni said.
During the same event, Emmanuel Ibrahim, the President of the Gwoza Elite Forum, a local civic organization, highlighted the importance of unity and education in a democratic society. “The purpose of this conference is all about inclusivity and how we can come together to support our state,” Ibrahim noted, pointing out that current security challenges in the region make citizen involvement critical. He urged the government to focus on improving education, healthcare, and infrastructure. “Effective representation cannot be overemphasised in fostering unity in a diverse community like Borno. Priority must be given to human, capital and infrastructural development,” Ibrahim stated. Furthermore, he appealed to government authorities to secure the safe return of displaced Nigerian citizens currently living as refugees in the neighboring country of Cameroon, stressing the need for enhanced security in their ancestral communities.
