MANIPULATION OF RELIGION AND TASK BEFORE THE NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN LEADERS

Since independence in Nigeria, attempts to entrench democratic relationship have been truncated prematurely over the years. The reasons for this are not farfetched. The attitudes of political class have hindered our nascent democracy and political process to shrive as it is in advanced democracies of the world. The misapplication of democratic rule, leading to manipulation of religion in the political circle make many asks several unanswerable questions concerning the role of religion in national development. This paper attempts to discuss how religion is being manipulated in the political circle in contemporary Nigeria. It treats the role of Christian’s leaders in the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. Furthermore, the paper examines the development of manipulation of religion and its consequences on nation-building in Nigeria. The study adopts an inter-disciplinary approach in gathering of information. The findings from the study revealed that manipulation of religion has affected Nigeria as a nation positively and negatively. The study recommends among others, that Christian leaders should assist the government in separating religion from politics to allow democracy to flower in Nigeria.