ABUJA: The Primate of The Church of the Lord Worldwide, TCLWW, Most Rev. Rufus Ositelu, has urged Nigerian leaders to return to the nation’s constitutional foundation of secularism, warning that the country’s unity and stability depend on keeping governance free from religious influence.
Ositelu, who also serves as President of the World Council of Churches, WCC, for Africa, issued the charge on Sunday during the Cathedral Dedication of the Church of the Lord Worldwide in Abuja. He said upholding secularism would promote fairness, inclusion and transparency in a diverse nation grappling with deepening political and social tensions.
“A truly fair and united nation must separate religious influence from political administration,” Ositelu declared, stressing that both leaders and citizens must “truly love Nigeria” if the country is to progress. He lamented that many of the nation’s woes stem from “personal gains and lack of love for this country,” adding: “If we love Nigeria, we know the truth and the truth will set us free; we will do the right thing.”
He questioned the growing entanglement of religion with state affairs, noting: “In our constitution, Nigeria is a secular state, so should the government either at federal or state be harbouring anything apart from secularity? It is one of the geneses of our problem… It started some years back like 30 years ago. The leadership said it was a political thing that would soon go away. It did not go away; it has been growing to the negative effect of this country.”
Ositelu urged political leaders to “face the truth, face facts,” insisting that Nigeria’s challenges are solvable without “inventing the wheel.”
Drawing a parallel with Switzerland, the Primate said Nigeria—with its diverse ethnic and linguistic groups—should explore governance models that ensure inclusive representation. “If you want power as the Prime Minister, you contest. But we can also have the presidency like they have in Switzerland which is shifting from one region to another… so that when it is the turn of any tribe, people… will know that this tribe also exists.”
Ositelu expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, saying “there is nothing God cannot do,” and predicting that the country “would be great again within the next 10 years.”
Speaking on the theme of the dedication service, “By the Grace of God, It Is Done,” he urged Nigerians not to lose hope, reminding them of divine promises in Leviticus 26:9–10. “You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. That will be your portion in Jesus’ name,” he told the congregation.
He cited biblical figures such as Joseph, David and Job to illustrate how “what seems hopeless is never hopeless with God,” noting that moments of hardship often precede breakthrough.
Ositelu congratulated the Abuja Diocese for achieving its longstanding vision of building the cathedral.
Archbishop-Designate Babatunde Ashaye, Diocesan of Abuja and Provincial Head of the Northern Ecclesiastical Province of TCLWW, described the new cathedral as “a symbol of revival, unity and divine presence in the heart of our nation’s capital.”
“It declares to the world that the Church of the Lord is marching on, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Ashaye said.
