Prophet Joshua Iginla, founder and senior prophet of Champions Royal Assembly, has rejected calls for pastors to stay away from political discussions, insisting that religious leaders are also citizens with the right to comment on national issues.
Iginla made the statement in a recent video from 02:45 shared on Facebook while responding to criticism against pastors who speak about politics and governance in Nigeria.
According to him, pastors should not be prevented from expressing their opinions on issues affecting the country simply because they are religious leaders.
He said, “Now they say all these pastors leave politics alone, I am a citizen and I will talk.”
Iginla argued that pastors are members of the society and are affected by government policies, just like other citizens.
He also challenged Nigerians who blame pastors for the country’s political problems to examine the role of citizens in electing political leaders.
The prophet maintained that Nigerians have the power to change their political leadership through the ballot box, saying citizens can vote out governors and other elected officials.
He further argued that overwhelming voter participation could make electoral manipulation difficult, stressing that citizens should take elections seriously rather than surrendering their political responsibility.
Iginla also criticised voters who accept items such as rice and salt from politicians during elections before returning to complain about poor governance.
He urged Nigerians to make independent political decisions and vote according to their convictions.
The cleric said the anger of Nigerians should be directed at the appropriate political authorities rather than being transferred to pastors.
He added that religious leaders who speak about politics should not automatically be accused of seeking political office, noting that they remain citizens who have a stake in the future of the country.
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