Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has urged Nigerian Catholics to become more actively involved in politics ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing that faith should extend beyond the church into the public square.

Fayemi made the call while delivering a lecture titled “Faith in Action: Empowering the Catholic Laity for Active Political Participation Ahead of the 2027 General Elections” at the September Plenary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the Our Lady and St. Kizito Pastoral Centre, Ede, Osun State.

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He argued that Christians should reject the notion that politics is inherently a “dirty game,” describing political participation as both a responsibility and an avenue to serve the common good.

According to him, Nigerian Catholics should register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards, study candidates and their programmes, participate in election monitoring, support credible candidates and hold elected officials accountable.

Fayemi also urged citizens to resist vote-buying, electoral violence and other forms of malpractice while assessing political programmes based on their impact on poverty, unemployment, education, healthcare, security, justice, families and vulnerable Nigerians.

He stressed the need for structured political formation within the Catholic Church, particularly for young people, covering areas such as Catholic Social Teaching, the Constitution, electoral laws, leadership ethics, human rights and media literacy.

The former governor, however, cautioned against turning the Church into an electoral machine for any political party, noting that Catholics could belong to different parties as long as their positions remained compatible with faith and moral principles.

Fayemi linked his own pro-democracy activism and public service to Catholic social engagement, citing initiatives implemented during his tenure as Ekiti governor, including free healthcare for the elderly, pregnant women and children, as well as monthly stipends for senior citizens.

He said the 2027 elections should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, adding that the objective should not simply be to produce more Catholic politicians but to form politically conscious, morally courageous and competent Catholic citizens committed to the common good.

“Faith must not remain in the sanctuary,” Fayemi said, stressing that politics remains a noble vocation of service when approached with integrity and responsibility.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed Saturday, September 19, 2026, for by-elections to fill five vacant legislative seats across Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states.

INEC announced the date on Friday, saying voting would take place at polling units within the affected constituencies.

According to the commission, polling will open at 8:30am and close at 2:30pm on election day.

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The affected constituencies are the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State; Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano; Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies in Bauchi; and Udu State Constituency in Delta.
The five vacancies emerged under different circumstances.

In Gombe, the federal constituency seat became vacant following the death of its representative, Yaya Bauchi Tongo, who died in June 2026.

In Bauchi, the Sakwa seat became vacant following the death of its former occupant, while the lawmaker representing Disina resigned from the State House of Assembly to contest a chairmanship position.

The Udu constituency seat in Delta became vacant after its former representative, Collins Egbetamah, defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, prompting the state legislature to declare the seat vacant.

In Kano, the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency seat became vacant after its former representative, Rabiu Shuaibu, left the State Assembly to contest the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency election.

Shuaibu subsequently won the federal constituency by-election conducted in June, leaving his former state assembly seat vacant.

The September 19 exercise will therefore determine new representatives for the five constituencies.

The elections will also attract political attention as parties and candidates seek to consolidate their positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has revealed that he would retain President Bola Tinubu’s floating exchange-rate policy if elected president.

Obi, however, said his administration would focus on increasing productivity and domestic production to strengthen the value of the naira and improve the purchasing power of Nigerians.

The presidential hopeful made this known during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, when he was asked to identify a policy of the Tinubu administration that he would retain if elected in 2027.

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“There’s one – the floating of the Naira. I’m not going to defend it. But I’m going to put productivity to make it more valuable to the people,” Obi said.

Tinubu’s administration introduced the naira float in June 2023 as part of its broader economic reforms aimed at unifying Nigeria’s foreign exchange market and allowing market forces to play a greater role in determining the value of the currency.

The Central Bank of Nigeria subsequently removed restrictions around the Investors and Exporters foreign exchange window, effectively ending the previous multiple-exchange-rate system.

The reform, however, was followed by a sharp depreciation of the naira.

The currency, which had traded below N500 to the dollar around the time the reforms began, subsequently moved above N1,000/$ and later crossed N1,500/$ at various points.

While supporters of the foreign exchange reform have argued that it was necessary to eliminate distortions, improve transparency and attract investment, the policy has remained one of the most debated aspects of Tinubu’s economic programme.

Obi’s latest position indicates that he would not seek to reverse the floating exchange-rate framework if elected.

Instead, he said his focus would be on improving the productive capacity of the Nigerian economy.

The former governor has repeatedly called for Nigeria to move away from what he describes as a consumption-driven economy towards one centred on production, exports, investment and job creation.

According to Obi, increased productivity would help create stronger economic fundamentals and ultimately make the naira more valuable to Nigerians.

Beyond the economy, Obi also cautioned Nigerians against allowing ethnic considerations to determine their choices in the 2027 presidential election.

“Our election should not be driven by tribalism,” he said.

Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party and is now seeking the presidency in 2027 under the National Democratic Congress.

With the 2027 election drawing closer, economic issues are expected to remain central to the presidential contest, particularly the cost of living, inflation, unemployment, exchange-rate stability and the strength of the naira.