Northern youths warn clerics against politicising Tinubu meetings

The Northern Nigeria Christian Youth Association has urged Christian leaders across the country to exercise restraint in their public comments after private meetings with President Bola Tinubu, warning that such remarks could fuel unnecessary tension and deepen national divisions.

The association said engagements with the President should promote national unity, peace and constructive dialogue rather than trigger public controversies.

In a statement jointly signed by its National Secretary, Bason Sunday, and National Publicity Secretary, Pastor Ruth Wada, on Monday in Abuja, the group expressed concern over reactions that followed the recent meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and President Tinubu.

The youth body acknowledged the critical role of religious leaders in shaping moral values but insisted that no single institution holds exclusive authority over the nation’s conscience.

It stated, “We have watched the fallout following the meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. While we honour our fathers in faith, including Cardinal John Onaiyekan, as true shepherds of God’s flock, we must cry out from the grassroots.

“As youths living daily with the realities of the 19 Northern states, we say with deep reverence that when spiritual fathers step into the halls of power, the words that follow must build the house of God and the nation, not set fire to the roof.”

The association argued that access to the President was a sacred trust meant for intercession and counsel, not for immediate media commentary.

Quoting Proverbs 25:9, it maintained that confidential discussions with the nation’s leader should retain their sanctity instead of becoming subjects of selective public interpretation.

It added, “When a father sits with the leader of the land, receives his undivided attention and hears direct responses to his concerns, kingdom grace demands that the sanctity of that meeting be kept intact.

“Running to media cameras immediately afterwards to offer selective personal commentary does not build peace. It overheats the polity and creates confusion among the people.”

The group also cautioned against portraying Tinubu as indifferent to the country’s security and economic challenges, stressing that the President, as Commander-in-Chief, has access to intelligence and security briefings beyond public knowledge.

It urged Nigerians not to reach conclusions without understanding ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity, citing Proverbs 18:13 as a reminder against premature judgement.

The association further said no organisation had a monopoly over the national conscience, noting that the President also receives feedback from grassroots communities, traditional leaders, security agencies and the media.

Calling on clerics across denominations to promote peace, the group cited Romans 14:19 and 1 Timothy 2:1–2, urging Christians to pray for those in authority and support efforts aimed at restoring security and economic stability.

The NNCYA also appealed to young Christians to remain calm, reject attempts to turn the pulpit into a platform for political division, and continue praying for Nigeria’s leaders while working towards national unity and peaceful coexistence.