By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has stirred fresh tension by banning political parties’ campaigns in churches.

This is as political parties embark on campaigns to woo voters to their camp and sell their agenda to voters against the November 8 Governorship election and the August 16 senatorial by-election,

The decision was announced at an Episcopal Consultation held in the Diocese of Nike, Enugu State.

In a memo signed by the Primate of the Church, The Most Revd. Dr. Henry Ndukuba, the Anglican Church declared that its altars and pulpits must no longer be used for political speeches.

The ban comes at the peak of electioneering activities in Anambra, where politicians traditionally seek endorsement or visibility through church appearances.

The Church’s decision has sent ripples through the political class, many of whom rely heavily on church gatherings to reach large, receptive audiences.

The Church’s directive seems to be a direct fallout of the uproar following a recent church service at St. James’ Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja, where the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, made some fiery political remarks.

During the controversial service, Wike openly criticized fellow politicians including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, prompting public outcry.

The presiding cleric, Venerable Ben Idume, further fueled the backlash by openly praising Wike and applauding President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of him as minister.

Public condemnation was swift, with Arise TV anchor, Dr. Reuben Abati, among those who accused both the minister and the priest of turning a sacred service into a partisan spectacle.

In response, the Anglican Church has now moved to reassert control over its pulpits. The Primate’s memo strongly emphasized that the Church must remain politically neutral and should not be turned into a stage for partisan grandstanding.

The memo warned that politicizing religious services threatens the integrity of Christian worship and risks dividing congregations along political lines.

Clergy were urged to exercise spiritual discipline and to avoid actions or statements that could be interpreted as politically aligned.

Importantly, the Church warned against the public glorification of politicians during services and insisted that consecrated spaces, including lecterns and altars, must never be used for campaign messages.

This policy shift by the Anglican Church represents a major development in the intersection of faith and politics in Anambra.

With churches playing a key role in community life, the ban could upend the usual campaign playbook and force politicians to seek alternative avenues to engage with voters.

The message from the Anglican Communion is clear: the pulpit is for the gospel, not political rhetoric.

It remains to be seen whether the church hierarchy will devise alternative means of accommodating politicians in churches for campaign purposes.