If you attend many of these big churches in Lagos, be very careful about what you consume from the pulpit during this period, because I genuinely think a memo has been sent to many of them. The patterns are becoming too obvious to ignore.
Most of the topics, sermons, statements, and even program themes I’ve been seeing from some of these big churches are psychologically constructed to make Nigerians emotionally withdraw from voting and to accept that change is impossible.
Some weeks ago, it was Pastor Adeboye telling people that the next president had already been chosen by God. Now it is Matthew Ashimolowo saying that Peter Obi is the best candidate, but that he won’t win. Then another popular Lagos church is running a program with the theme “Jesus being the best political cover.” And there are many more subtle messages like that circulating.
This is becoming too coordinated to be random. The timing. The location. The pastors involved. The exact emotional direction of the messaging. This is psychological manipulation, and many Nigerians are not catching it. Because APC knows something very important: they know they no longer have anything tangible to offer Nigerians.
Fuel is expensive. Food is expensive. Electricity is expensive. School fees are expensive. Businesses are collapsing. The naira has been battered. People are suffering visibly.
So what do you do when performance can no longer convince the people? You start targeting their psychology.
You start targeting hope. You start targeting morale. You start making people feel like resistance is pointless. That is the new strategy. And religion is one of the easiest vehicles to use because many Nigerians trust pastors more than they trust facts.
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Notice the pattern carefully. These pastors will subtly admit that Peter Obi or the Obi/Kwankwaso movement represents competence or better leadership, but immediately after saying that, they will emotionally conclude with: “But he cannot win.” “God has already chosen.” “Jesus is the answer.” “Focus on heaven.”
Do you people not see the psychological game being played here? It is not direct support for APC. It is emotional demobilization. It is convincing Nigerians not to bother participating. It is making people subconsciously feel that their votes do not matter. Because once people lose hope psychologically, the battle is already halfway won politically.
And sadly, many of these pastors know exactly what they are doing because they understand how emotionally dependent many Nigerians are on religious authority. They know many church members will never question anything coming from the altar. That is why you must use your brain during this period.
God is supreme. Jesus is King. Nobody is arguing that. But God has also given human beings free will. The same Bible is full of people making choices and living with the consequences of those choices.
Nigeria today is the result of choices. Bad leadership is the result of choices. Corruption is the result of choices.
Silence is the result of choices. And better leadership will also come from choices. God will not come down from heaven to thumbprint ballot papers.
Nigerians will.
So when someone tells you “the next president has already been chosen,” ask yourself: Why then are politicians campaigning? Why are billions being spent on elections? Why are parties fighting desperately for power? Why are propaganda machines working overtime? Why are pastors suddenly sounding like political analysts?
Because they know votes matter. And they know people matter. That is why APC and its supporters are now focusing heavily on psychological warfare. They know they cannot easily defend the suffering Nigerians are facing.
So the next best thing is to make Nigerians mentally surrender before 2027 even arrives. That is why you must stay alert. Pray, yes. Trust God, yes. But also think critically. Because faith without wisdom is how manipulators control people.
Some of these religious leaders are deeply comfortable with the current system because a suffering nation is profitable to many of them. The more hopeless people become, the easier it is to control them emotionally and financially.
A Nigeria that works reduces desperation and desperation is the fuel many manipulative systems feed on. So be careful about what you consume from the pulpit this season.
Not every sermon is spiritually neutral. Some are politically engineered. Some are emotionally programmed. Some are strategically designed to weaken your resolve.
God has given Nigerians the free will to choose what kind of country they want to see manifest.And if Nigerians truly want change, then they must stop allowing fear, propaganda, emotional manipulation, tribalism, and weaponized religion to make them surrender their future before the election even begins.
Iniobong Udoh
