In Nigeria today, politics is widely seen as a dirty game—a space where lies, bribery, violence, and betrayal dominate.
In a world where power plays, backroom deals, and moral compromises are the currency of governance, many Christians believe that to stay holy, one must stay far from politics. Others who attempt to enter the political arena often face intense pressure to compromise.
So, the question burns in our hearts: Can a Christian truly survive Nigerian politics without becoming part of the corruption? Should believers run from politics or run for office? Is politics a mission field or a spiritual death trap? Imagine a lone candle flickering in a pitch-black storm—does it illuminate the darkness, or does the wind snuff it out? That is the raw, unfiltered question facing Christians today: Can faith’s “light” endure in the shadowy arena of politics, or will the system’s corruption dim it forever?
The gut-punch reality: Politics is not a Sunday school class. It is rather a coliseum where lions roam, and compromise is the price of entry. The “dark system” thrives on division, deception, and self-interest. How many well-meaning believers enter the fray only to emerge jaded, their principles eroded by lobbyist whispers or party-line pressures? We’ve seen scandals rock Christian politicians—affairs, financial impropriety, or outright hypocrisy—that make sceptics scoff: “See? Even the ‘light’ gets tainted.” The temptation to wield power for personal gain, or to justify unethical means for “greater good” ends, is insidious.
Yes, the political field is dangerous — but so is every frontline of spiritual warfare. Joseph entered Pharaoh’s court. Daniel served in Babylon. Esther influenced Persia. They did not survive because the system was clean; they survived because God planted them there with purpose.
The issue, therefore, is not really whether politics is dark — darkness is expected where there is no light. The real tragedy is not that Nigeria’s political system is corrupt; the tragedy is that the righteous are silent, absent, or compromised.
Light is only meaningful when it enters darkness. Governance is too important to be left only in the hands of the corrupt. The Bible does not call for isolation; it demands engagement. Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners, infiltrating corrupt spaces without becoming corrupt.
History bursts with examples where this worked. William Wilberforce, a devout Christian, waged a decades-long battle in British Parliament to abolish slavery, proving that faith-fuelled persistence can topple empires of injustice. Figures like Martin Luther King Jr. blended prophetic zeal with political activism, turning the tide on civil rights without losing his soul.
Light was never designed to avoid darkness—it was designed to confront it.
Many Christians pray for good governance while refusing to be part of the process that produces leaders.
We criticize corrupt politicians but avoid raising righteous alternatives.
We pray against wicked rulers, while discouraging believers who feel called to leadership.
We quote “righteousness exalts a nation” but do not release righteous men and women into the places where laws are made, and resources are allocated.
The truth is politics will remain dark as long as the light stays outside. The early church influenced empires not by hiding but by penetrating systems with conviction and integrity.
May God raise a generation of Christians who will not run from the battlefield, but enter it with conviction, purity, and courage — to be salt, light, and reformers in the nation.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice…” — Proverbs 29:2
VENERABLE DR. PRINCEWILL IREOBA
CANON THEOLOGIAN, DIRECTOR OF THEOLOGICAL MATTERS, CHURCH OF NIGERIA
