Study Session 4

CHRISTIANITY AND POLITICAL CULTURE IN NIGERIA

4.0 Introduction

In this session, we examine Christianity and its influence on political culture in Nigeria. You
will notice that Nigerian Christianity has come a long way and has developed a complex of its
own. However, you will observe that strictly speaking, it is difficult to speak of a homogenous
Christian tradition in Nigeria. Rather, there are various religious traditions and practices within
the Christian fold. The changes in the religion have also been historically conditioned,
reflecting the evolution of various expressions of the faith in response to both local and foreign
stimuli.

Learning Outcomes

When you have studied this session, you should be able to understand the following:

4.1 The beginning of Christianity in Nigeria (SAQ 4.1)

4.2 Christianity and Political Culture in Nigeria (SAQ 4.2)
4.3 Contributions of Christian Groups to National Development (SAQ 4.3)

Main Content
4.1 The Beginning of Christianity in Nigeria

We must note that the first attempt to introduce Christianity by Catholic Portuguese traders to
the southern parts of what later became Nigeria in the late fifteenth century up till the
seventeenth century produced very little fruits. The new religion found it impossible to displace
traditional religion. Moreover, the connection of these early Portuguese with the inhuman slave
trade did not help matters. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, there was very little to
show for this early missionary effort. And these, in the words of J.F. Ade Ajayi, were “only a
few relics like the huge cross in the centre of old Warri, a few Church decorations surviving
among traditional shrines, a few memories reflected in oral tradition and in the ritual of
traditional gods”. There were no congregations or surviving converts.
 You should note that it was in the first half of the nineteenth century that European and
American missionaries re-introduced Christianity into the country. It was this second attempt
that bore lasting fruits. By the second half of the nineteenth century, several denominational
groups such as the Church Missionary Society (CMS also called Anglican), Roman Catholic
Church, Wesleyan (Methodist), Baptist, Presbyterian and other mainstream churches were
freely proselytizing in the southern parts of the area that later became Nigeria. In the last
quarter of the nineteenth century, secession groups called ‘African’ or ‘Native’ Churches also
began to emerge. The first half of the twentieth century was marked by the proliferation of
African Instituted (Indigenous or Independent) Churches (AICS) such as the Cherubim and
Seraphim (C&S) Church, the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), the Church of the Lord, Aladura
(CLA) and the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC). At the same time, foreign Pentecostal
churches were extending their tentacles into the country. Such churches included the British
Apostolic Church, the (American) Foursquare Gospel Church, the Assemblies of God Church,
the Apostolic Faith, etc. The second half of the twentieth century saw the growth and explosion
of indigenous Pentecostal churches such as the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Deeper
Life Christian Ministry, Church of God Missions, Living Faith Ministries, Sword of the Spirit
Ministries, Christ Chapel, Christ Embassy, etc. A new Pentecostal wave was enhanced by the
activities of young people in Campus Fellowships, some of which later became the founders
of various Pentecostal ministries.

We must emphasise that the relationship subsisting among these various churches has
gone through various phases and transformations. For instance, you will observe that the
mainstream churches at the close of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth
century viewed the breakaway churches with suspicion, given the tense atmosphere within
which the secessions occurred. By the mid-twentieth, AICs were also regarded with mistrust
especially as some of those Aladura churches embraced certain aspects of traditional worship
such as boisterous music and dance, ritual consultation with prophets and the prescription of
special prayers, ‘baths’, use of white garments, etc. Pentecostal challenge to mainstream
churches took a different turn as Pentecostal leaders were accused of ‘sheep stealing’ especially
in the 80s and 90s due to the attraction the movement held for young people and its promise of
meeting their existential needs. Pentecostals also accused Aladura (AICs) of conducting rituals
and fraternizing with ‘power of darkness’ and in the 1980s, they derided mainstream churches
as ‘dead’ congregations with no power and anointing. The fact that few of the clergy in these
mainstream churches were said to be Freemasons and, or affiliated with local esoteric cults
(such as the Yoruba Ogboni Confraternity) did not help matters. Of all these Christian groups,
Pentecostals were, and still remain the most intolerant, insisting that all others needed to be
‘born again’ before they could be considered serious Christians.

You will observe in the mainstream churches in recent times the internal
Pentecostalization they have embraced in the area of music and dance during worship, probably
to keep their youth from leaving the church. Even though differences still persist in the practices
of the various groups, they are not seen as barriers to peaceful co-existence especially within
ecumenical bodies such as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

4.2 Christianity and Political Culture

We will now discuss the contributions of Christianity, in its various expressions, to political
life in Nigeria. What has Christianity contributed to the political tradition in Nigeria? What
potentials does the religion have for improving the political life of the nation? What lessons
can political leaders and policy makers learn from Nigerian Christianity?

You will note that a significant milieu in the history of Nigerian Christianity was
witnessed in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and opening decades of the twentieth
century. This was the period when cultural nationalism was embraced and nurtured within the
Church with significant implications for subsequent political agitations and nationalist
demands. This was triggered by the discriminatory practices of white missionaries in the
mainstream churches. Details of this need not concern us here. But it should be noted that the
career of Samuel Ajayi Crowther (the first black man to be consecrated as an Anglican Bishop),
particularly towards the end of his life showed the disregard and insensitivity of white
missionaries to the plight of African pastors and church workers. Crowther’s death was said to
have been covered by a ‘cloud of persecution and humiliation’ from white CMS agents after
he had served the mission for almost five decades. However, not all native agents had the
forbearance and resilience of Ajayi Crowther.

Activity

Think about how the Church influenced nationalism in Nigeria.

4.3 Christian Groups and their Contributions to National Development

We will emphasise that white missionaries were reluctant to affirm the leadership qualities of
black priests and sometimes even mistreated and humiliated them, and this made splinter
groups from many of the mission churches to establish their own ‘African’ or ‘Native’
Churches to be led exclusively by Nigerians. Such churches included the Ebenezer Baptist
Church founded in Lagos in 1888, United Native African Church established in 1891, the
African Church, Bethel, Lagos founded in 1901, and the United African Methodist Church
(Eleja), Lagos, set up in 1917. A common feature of all these churches was the prominence of
African leadership. This is significant in several ways.

First, you will observe that it demonstrated that African churchmen and clergy could
successfully throw off the yoke of ‘spiritual or religious’ colonialism. Since white missionaries
were in close league with colonial authorities, it then followed that the bourgeoning nationalist
movement could draw inspiration from the emancipatory moves of Nigerian church leaders.
Secondly, the fact that those African churches survived despite the hostility of their parent
churches and of the colonial authorities proves the doggedness of African leaders. It also
demonstrates the ability of Nigerians to provide able leadership within those congregations as
well as their creativity in adapting foreign practices to local conditions. Seen from another
perspective, the African Church phenomenon underscores the enduring relevance of
indigenous components in any societal experiment, be it political, economic, social or religious.

Meanwhile, we must emphasise that the purveyors of cultural nationalism in the late
nineteenth century were all products of missionary schools. The elite became disillusioned and
discouraged by the discriminatory attitudes of Europeans both within and outside the Church.
The same discouragement could be found in the Nigerians that championed anti-colonial
protests in the early twentieth century. Another contribution of Christianity to politics in
Nigeria is its tradition of socio-political activism, human rights advocacy and critique of social
ills such as bad governance and corruption. This could be traced to the colonial period because
the first generation of educated elite were Christians who took it upon themselves to champion
the cause of the illiterate masses and protect them from the excesses of the colonial authorities.
Christian leaders became visible again during the military regimes (of Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida and Sani Abacha) in the mid 80s and 1990s, which clamped down on the poor
masses with human rights abuses and the impoverishing Structural Adjustment Programme
(SAP).
 You will notice that during this period, leaders of mainstream churches, together with
human rights activists were at the forefront of the campaign against corruption and dictatorship.
Individual priests like Olubunmi Okogie (now Catholic Cardinal), Matthew Hassan Kukah
(now Bishop of Sokoto Diocese) and Bolanle Gbonigi (a retired Anglican Bishop) were
unrelenting critics of the military government. The Catholic Church, through its Justice,
Development and Peace Commission valiantly defended human rights. Drawing from Catholic
social doctrine, the Commission maintained that the church had a duty to oppose undemocratic
government and protest the violation of human rights. When democratic rule was eventually
instituted in 1999, it was clear that the leadership of the mainstream churches and human rights
groups as well as other concerned civil society bodies had contributed significantly to it.

It is important for you to observe that closely related to the above point is the role of
the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in speaking out against acts that are seen as
unfavourable to the Nigerian Christian community e.g. religions violence directed at Northern
Christians by Northern Muslims and attempts by the Muslim North to Islamise the country.

In addition, we will observe that Nigerian Christianity has contributed to the political
development of the country in the area of women empowerment especially within the African
Indigenous Churches (AICs) and the Pentecostal/Charismatic Assemblies. There, patriarchal
structures that had hitherto prevented women from playing leadership roles in the Church are
gradually being de-emphasised. Instead, there are female-friendly interpretations of Scriptures
that encourage women to realize their potentials and aspire to greater heights in all areas of
their lives. For instance, women were ordained as clergy in the Church of the Lord, Aladura;
they were recognized as prophetesses in C&S and CCC congregations; and as Lady Evangelists
in CAC Churches. Moreover, within some Pentecostal organizations, women enjoy full
ordination and play important administrative roles as is the case in the Redeemed Christian
Church of God (RCCG).

In numerous other Pentecostal Churches they are in charge of children’s department

and welfare, and training of other women (i.e. in Sisters’ Fellowships). There are also various
cases of women who founded their own ministries such as Bishop Dorcas Olaniyi of Agbala
Daniel Church in Ibadan (1979), and Bishop Bola Odeleke of the Power Pentecostal Church
(Agbala Agbara Olorun Kii Baa Ti) in Ibadan (1980) and later moved the headquarters to
Lagos. Again, on the death of their husbands, some wives have assumed the headship of large
ministries as exemplified by the cases of Bishop Margaret Idahosa of the Church of God
Missions, Benin and Rev. (Mrs.) Nkechi Anayo-Iloputaife of Faith Revival Ministries World
Outreach in Lagos.

You will also note that the significance of this for national political culture is that if
religious barriers that are held to be sacrosanct could be dismantled for women to rise and
assume leadership positions, then traditional patriarchy and other social hurdles can eventually
be surmounted by women. This may take time, but the point has already been made by these
newer expressions of Christianity that women have a lot to contribute to national development.
Moreover, the fact that female religious leaders are no less endowed with pneumatic and
charismatic gifts than men; and that most of the women at the religions helm have been efficient
show that any society that continues to censor its womenfolk and keeps them from assuming
important public roles denies itself of the values, skills, resources and gifts of such women.
Happily, some women are becoming prominent in the wider political sphere. There are cases
of Christian women who have distinguished themselves in public service. Examples of these
include: Professor (Mrs.) Dora Akunyili (former Director-General of the National Agency for
Food and Drug Administration, and former Federal Minister of Information), Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala (former Minister of Finance and Head of the nation’s Economic Team) and Dr.
(Mrs.) Oby Ezekwesili (Pioneer chief executive of the national Due Process Office, and former
Minister of Education).

However, we will emphasise that the contributions of Christianity to political culture in

Nigeria have not always been encouraging. First is in the area of direct participation of
Christians as candidates in electoral contests. For a long time, Pentecostals especially
denounced politics as a “dirty game”, unfit for heavenly-minded Christians. It is only recently
that they have started to vie for electoral office. For instance, Rev. Chris Okotie unsuccessfully
contested twice (in 2003 and 2007) as a presidential aspirant on the ticket of the Fresh Party
founded by him. Tunde Bakare also lost his bid for the post of Vice-President in 2011 on the
platform of the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC]. Second, even in cases where professed
Christians won elections, their performance in office has not always been above board. They
have been as guilty of corruption and associated malpractices as other Nigerians professing
different religions. The worst cases, which make juicy headlines in tabloids, are instances of
clerical scandals. These are not restricted to any particular denomination, they randomly occur
among various religious groups (Muslims, Christians, adherents of traditional religion). The
prosperity doctrine presently making the rounds within some Pentecostal groups has not helped
matters, especially in a nation already saturated with acts of corruption and other vices.
Summary of Study Session
After going through this session, you have learned the following:

(i) The beginning of Christianity in Nigeria.

(ii) Christianity and Political Culture in Nigeria.
(iii) Contributions of Christian Groups to National Development.

Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for Study Session 4

Now that you have completed this study session, you should assess how much you have learned
by attempting the following questions. You can write your answers in a note book so as to be
able to discuss extensively on it with your tutor at the next interactive session.
SAQ 4.1: Examine the beginning of Christianity in Nigeria.
SAQ 4.2: Highlight the influence of Christianity on political culture in Nigeria.
SAQ 4.3: What would you consider the contributions of Nigerian Christian groups to the
development of Nigeria?

References
Gbadamosi, T.G. O., The growth of Islam among the Yoruba, 1841-1908, Longmans, London,
1978.

Murray, Last, The Sokoto Caliphate, London, 1967.

Ade-Ajayi, J.F., Christian Missions in Nigeria, 1841-1891: The Making of a New

Elite. London: Longman, 1965.
Adekunle, J.O. (ed.), Religion in Politics: Secularism and National Integration in
Modern Nigeria. Trenton: Africa World Press, 2009.
Ogungbile, D.O. and Akinade, A.E. (eds.) Creativity and Change in Nigerian
Christianity. Lagos: Malthouse Press Ltd., 2010.
Olukoju, A. O., “The Dynamics of Cultural Nationalism in Colonial Nigeria”. In
Osuntokun, A. and Olukoju, A. O. (eds.), Nigerian Peoples and Cultures.
Ibadan: Davidson Press, 1997, 298-309.
Peel, J.D.Y., Aladura: A Religious Movement among the Yoruba. London:
Oxford University Press, 1968.
Suggestions for further reading

Adeboye, O. “Pentecostal Challenge in Africa and Latin America: A Comparative

Focus on Nigeria and Brazil”. Afrika Zamani, 11 & 12 (2003-2004), 136-
160.
Omoyajowo, J.A. (ed.) Makers of the Church in Nigeria, 1842-1947. Lagos:
CSS Bookshops Ltd., 1995.