Bishop Kawas Doubles Down on Tinubu Support, Says Bishops Are Also Politicians and Business People
Abuja — President-General of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Leonard Bature Kawas, has defended his group’s endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, insisting that his involvement in politics is not new and that the bishops he leads are not restricted to full-time ministry.
Kawas made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday morning, monitored by Headlineswave.ng, as controversy continues to trail the group’s decision to support President Tinubu.
The cleric maintained that members of his Charismatic Bishops group are involved in different aspects of society, including business and politics, arguing that there is nothing unusual about a minister of the gospel participating in public affairs.
According to him, the group’s involvement in politics dates back several administrations, including the era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
More Read
‘We Are Not Full-Time Ministers’
Kawas explained that members of the group are encouraged to engage in legitimate businesses and other activities outside the pulpit.
He reportedly drew a biblical example from the Apostle Paul, who worked with his hands as a tentmaker while carrying out his ministry.
More Read
The reference is consistent with the biblical account in Acts 18:3, which states that Paul stayed and worked with Aquila and Priscilla because they shared the same trade of tentmaking.
Kawas therefore argued that being a bishop does not automatically prevent an individual from participating in business or politics
Why We Support Tinubu
Explaining the decision to support Tinubu, Kawas said his support is based on his conviction that the President is taking Nigeria towards greater heights.
He defended the administration’s economic and security efforts, arguing that some forces are working against the government’s attempts to address the country’s challenges.
When asked whether he possessed intelligence identifying those allegedly sabotaging the President’s efforts, Kawas indicated that the identities were already known to those who were in a position to know, adding that the matter was in the public domain.
He did not, however, publicly identify specific individuals or organisations during the interview.
:Our Endorsement Was Divinely Inspired’
Kawas also maintained that the bishops’ decision to endorse Tinubu was not simply a political calculation.
According to him, the endorsement was divinely inspired, suggesting that the group’s decision followed what its leadership believed to be divine direction.
The position places the CBCN’s endorsement within the broader debate over the role of Christian leaders in partisan politics and whether religious organisations should openly support political candidates.
Political Involvement Predates Tinubu
Kawas has previously defended his political history, saying he had supported different political figures before backing Tinubu.
In an earlier interview, he said he had supported former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi at different points. He also recalled serving on Jonathan’s presidential campaign council.
His defence is therefore that his present support for Tinubu should not be interpreted as evidence that his political involvement began with the current administration.
The CBCN has also publicly expressed support for the Tinubu administration in the past. In 2024, Kawas pledged the group’s support for the government and said the bishops would continue to pray for and partner with the administration.
The Bigger Question
The renewed comments by Kawas are likely to keep the debate alive over the intersection of religion and politics in Nigeria, particularly as political parties and presidential contenders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 election.
While Kawas insists that the CBCN’s endorsement of Tinubu was divinely inspired and rooted in his assessment of the President’s performance, critics of the endorsement are likely to continue questioning the extent to which religious leaders should become openly involved in partisan politics.
For Kawas and the CBCN, however, their position appears settled: they support President Tinubu and believe his administration deserves
