Don’t turn Adeboye debate into tribal war, Obi warns

Peter Obi has cautioned Nigerians against allowing recent debates around Pastor Enoch Adeboye to be turned into ethnic or tribal conflicts.

In a statement addressed to young Nigerians, Obi referenced the 2023 Lagos elections, when public discourse shifted from governance and development to ethnicity and suspicion. He warned that similar narratives are resurfacing.

“Throughout history, whenever politicians find it difficult to compete on ideas, performance, character or vision, some resort to exploiting the fault lines of ethnicity, religion and identity,” Obi said. “Their calculation is simple: a divided people are easier to manipulate than a united people.”

Obi emphasized that Pastor Adeboye, at 84 years old, has consistently preached peace, love, and national unity. He urged young Nigerians not to transfer responsibilities that belong to them onto the cleric, and to resist being recruited into ethnic or political battles.

“Do not allow anyone to recruit you into hatred. Do not allow anyone to weaponise your ethnicity, your faith, or your admiration for respected leaders,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor highlighted that political actors often exploit debates about respected figures to mask broader issues, including governance failures, and warned that such tactics are resurfacing ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The Nigeria of our dreams can only be built by citizens who refuse to be divided, who choose unity over hatred, and who place our collective future above narrow interests,” he said.

Obi’s statement comes as conversations around Adeboye intensified online, with sections of the public drawing him into political debates, prompting the cleric’s church to clarify his stance and distance him from partisan controversies.