Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh
The President of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province Laity Council, Professor Francis O. Ibimiluyi, has issued a powerful charge to his fellow Catholic lay faithful across Nigeria to move their Christian convictions from the pew to the public square and actively participate in shaping the nation’s political future. Speaking on the third day of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) plenary session with the laity, Prof. Ibimiluyi underscored that active civic engagement is an indispensable expression of the lay vocation as the country prepares for the 2027 General Elections. Addressing an audience of Catholic Bishops, traditional leaders, academics, political figures, provincial leaders of the laity bodies and institutional delegates, he presented an address centered on empowering the Catholic laity for active political participation through faith in action.
Drawing spiritual inspiration from the Year of St. Francis of Assisi, Prof. Ibimiluyi stressed that authentic faith cannot remain confined within church walls, as the saint’s life offers a model of Christian citizenship centered on peace, humility, care for the vulnerable, and a faith that expresses itself through concrete action. He reminded the assembly that Catholic Social Teaching (CST) provides a framework showing that politics, when directed toward the common good, is a noble form of public service.
In his address, the provincial laity leader also reaffirmed the unwavering solidarity of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province Laity Council with His Eminence, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, and the Bishops’ Conference. He emphasised that the Church’s moral stance and commentary on national affairs are rooted in its evangelical duty to defend human dignity and justice, rather than partisan political activity, noting that constructive engagement between government and faith-based institutions should be encouraged in the interest of the common good.
Looking ahead to the upcoming elections, Prof. Ibimiluyi identified critical challenges facing Nigeria’s democratic process, including voter apathy, political violence, electoral manipulation, and vote-buying. He warned that when principled individuals withdraw from politics, the public space is left open to unprincipled interests. To counteract this, he called for grassroots voter education across parishes to discourage vote-buying, reminding citizens that while selling a vote offers short-term personal gain, it imposes severe long-term costs on future generations. He also urged structured collaboration across dioceses, academic institutions, traditional leadership, and civil society to build sustained civic literacy programs that empower local communities.
Concluding his address, the Professor reminded the laity of their Christian call to be the salt of the earth and light of the world in public life. He asserted that Catholics must be prepared to enter the public space not with a spirit of domination, but with a spirit of service. He emphasised that they must enter public life not with hatred, but with love; not with selfish ambition, but with commitment to the common good; not with violence, but with peace; not with corruption, but with integrity; and not merely with words, but with faith in action. The session concluded with calls for sustained collaboration to implement these practical civic literacy initiatives throughout the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province and across the nation.
