The Anglican Church of Nigeria has issued new directives banning politicians from delivering speeches during worship services, marking a significant shift in the relationship between Nigeria’s Anglican church and the country’s political class.
The move follows a controversial incident at St. James’ Anglican Church in Asokoro, Abuja, where Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike used a July 6 thanksgiving service to launch political attacks against Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, declaring that Obi would “never be president.”
The Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, the church’s primate, signed the new protocols last week following an Episcopal Consultation in Enugu State, establishing clear boundaries for political participation in Anglican worship.
Politicians and public officials are prohibited from addressing congregations unless specifically authorized by church leadership. The pulpit, lectern, and altar are now reserved exclusively for scripture reading and preaching by ordained ministers. Parish clergy are explicitly warned against offering “excessive praise or endorsements” of political visitors.
Nigerian press coverage of this story has largely missed the broader canonical implications. Most reports frame this as a simple political controversy rather than examining the underlying ecclesiological questions about the proper relationship between temporal and spiritual authority in Anglican governance.
The Church’s statement speaks of maintaining “sanctity of worship” and preventing “division among congregants” – language that reflects classical Anglican concerns about the via media and the church’s role as a moral voice rather than partisan actor.
This action follows established Anglican precedent. The Church of England has long maintained strict protocols governing political speeches in consecrated spaces, and similar restrictions exist across the Anglican Communion. What makes the Nigerian case notable is the explicit nature of the ban and its emergence from a specific political confrontation.
The timing is significant: Nigeria’s political landscape remains volatile following the 2023 elections, with ongoing tensions between major political parties. The Anglican Church’s decision to withdraw from this arena represents a calculated institutional response to protect its spiritual authority.
The Nigerian church’s directive raises several questions that have yet to be answered by the primate: How will these guidelines be enforced at the parish level? What mechanisms exist for addressing violations? How do these rules align with broader Anglican Communion practices?
Press coverage from Nigeria has so far treated Archbishop Ndukuba’s pronouncement from a political perspective, rather than examining its theological and canonical foundations. The Anglican Church of Nigeria’s action reflects centuries-old principles about the proper ordering of worship and the church’s prophetic role in society.
For observers of global Anglicanism, this development signals how national churches navigate the tension between civic engagement and liturgical integrity – a balance that continues to challenge religious institutions worldwide.
