The Role of the Church in the Conduct of 2023 General Election in Nigeria

The church’s engagement in political discourse, mobilization of its congregants and their partnership with civil society organizations in the 2023 general election has been an issue of much public debate. This debate examines the influence of the church on the 2023 general election in Nigeria. Thus, we have posed the following research questions; Did church-led-voter education and advocacy activities enhanced voter turnout and engagement in the 2023 general election in Nigeria? Did the participation of the church in the election monitoring and observation enhance the integrity and public perception of the 2023 general election in Nigeria? Did church-led mediation and conflict resolution engagements enhance the resolution of conflicts arising from the 2023 general election in Nigeria? This project will be analyzed with the use of rational choice theory. An ex-post factor research design will be used to analyze our findings, since the research topic is an event that has already taken place. A combination of documentary and survey (interview) method of data collection while analyzing both primary and secondary data with thematic and content analysis. Findings reveal that although churches have made tremendous effort in voters education and mobilization, they have also indirectly tried to influence the opinions of their congregants, towards supporting the candidate or party of their choice.