Religion and Politics in Nigeria: Analysis of the 2023 Presidential Election

Abstract

Since independence of Nigeria in 1960, religion has continued to play an important role in the country’s politics. Political periods are characterized by religious induced diatribes and the wooing of electoral support or votes along religious lines. The implications of this development on the country’s political environment and electoral behaviour have elicited scholarly attention. Extant literature, therefore, is replete with the impact of religion on Nigeria’s politics. Scholars have researched on the implications of religion for Nigeria’s democracy and political stability. However, there is near absence of extant literature on the influence of religion on 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria. Thus, this study serves as an intervention to narrow the existing knowledge gap. Using qualitative historical methods, the paper adopts Marxist theoretical analysis and contends that Nigeria's politics is driven by religious considerations as demonstrated in the presidential election in 2023. It argues that religion played an important role in the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s president. It avails the effects of religion on Nigeria’s electoral politics and demonstrate it impact on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.