Most pastors are ignorant about politics – Femi Emmanuel

The Presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International, Pastor Femi Emmanuel, has criticised the involvement of many church leaders in partisan political debates, describing most pastors as “completely ignorant” about politics despite their passion for Nigeria.

Emmanuel made the remarks during an interview on TVC News on Wednesday, where he argued that many clerics comment on political issues without understanding how governance and policymaking work.

“My people, fellow pastors, fellow general overseers, they are very passionate about this country. They work hard, they believe in this country, they love this country. But when it comes to politics, they are completely ignorant,” he said.

According to him, many religious leaders speak from the sidelines because they are not directly involved in governance or policymaking.

You are not where laws are made, you are not where policies are implemented, but you are shouting from the pulpit. That is shouting from the back of the fence,” he stated.

The cleric also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Muslim-Muslim and Christian-Muslim tickets, arguing that religious identity in political office does not necessarily translate into benefits for Christians or the church.

Recalling the 2019 elections, he cited the candidacy of Pastor Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

All this talk of Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Christian, I ask them, in 2019 it was not just a Christian-Muslim ticket, it was a Christian pastor ticket. Our brother and friend, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo, very cerebral, very brilliant, very outspoken. But what did he bring to the body of Christ as a church?” he asked.

Emmanuel further described the office of the Vice President as limited in influence under Nigeria’s constitutional arrangement.

“Our constitution says the vice president is a spare tyre. So what Christians are arguing for is, ‘We want a vice president.’ What would that bring to the church? Nothing. We are Nigerians,” he said.

The cleric, who previously served as Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly between 1992 and 1993, urged Christians, young people and the wider public to become actively involved in grassroots politics rather than limiting their participation to prayers and sermons.

Political fathers, their power is the ward. That’s where you and I should go. That’s where the corporate majority should go. That is where the youth should invade. That is where the church community should invade,” he said.

Emmanuel also criticised the belief that prayer alone can solve political problems.

On pastors who publicly predicted election outcomes and claimed divine revelations about winners, Emmanuel dismissed such prophecies as products of ignorance.

They don’t know. Ignorance,” he said.

When reminded that some clerics insisted they had heard directly from God, he replied, “Well, you know, where you there when they heard from God, anybody can claim to hear from God.”