The View of “Born Again” Christians on Politics in Nigeria

Abstract

From time immemorial, discussions involving politics had sparked spontaneous debate in Nigeria. Many people claim that politics is a dirty game that Christians should avoid like plagues, holding the belief that politics is so bad that it will be extremely difficult for genuine Christians to successfully navigate its terrain without soiling their hands in sin. Very few people have drummed their support for Christians involving in politics. The people who maintain this stance also hinge their claims on various biblical injunctions. The focus of this work, therefore, is to examine these two opposing views with the purpose of establishing a position that can enhance development. In view of the nature of this study, historical method is employed in its analysis. The findings of this study, however, reveal that it is the power of productive politics and good governance not the power of fasting and prayers that are the key requirements for sustainable development. The findings further reveal that politics is one of the strategies for survival in Nigeria. If Christians dissociate themselves from it, they will be sending wrong and dangerous signals to the future generation because the risks involved in maintaining the status quo of hating politics is higher than the risk involved in participating in it. The study concludes that Christians can participate in politics as doing so will help them to eliminate the prevailing societal vices and evils. Keywords: Politics, Christians, power, sustainable development, strategy, participate, risk.