RELIGION AS A TOOL OF POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the use of religion as a tool of political communication in the 2023 presidential election campaigns in Nigeria, against the backdrop of the country’s claim of secularism. Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, states that: The government of the Federation or the State shall not adopt any religion as the state religion. The same Constitution acknowledges the right of Nigerian to Shari’a justice in Section 275 (1) by providing that there shall be for any State that requires it a Shari’a Court of Appeal for that State and in Section 260(1) that there shall be a Shari’a Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. From all these, is Nigeria truly a secular country? Is the claim of secularism a deliberate hypocrisy? These are questions that beg for answers. The study adopted survey research design with questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The respondents comprised 250 persons randomly selected from Enugu and Lagos States (in Southern part of Nigeria); Kano and Benue States (in Northern part of Nigeria) and Abuja (Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory). The study found that religion was used as a tool for political communication in the 2023 presidential election campaigns in Nigeria and that the use of religious appeals influenced electorate’s choice of candidates in the 2023 presidential elections. The study recommends separation of religion from politics in Nigeria to allow competence, capacity and track records determine choice of candidates for elective positions in the country.