SPECIAL inter-religious prayers were held on Thursday in Osi, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The event brought together Muslim and Christian religious leaders to pray for a peaceful 2027 general elections. The Chief Imam of Osi and Chairman of the League of Imams and Ulamas for Ekiti Local Government Area, Alhaji […], led the Islamic prayers, while Christian pastors conducted parallel Christian prayers. The gathering took place at the APC office in Osi and was attended by party officials, traditional rulers, and community members. Organisers described the event as part of the party's commitment to fostering unity and reducing electoral violence. No financial figures or specific electoral strategies were disclosed during the event.
The APC's decision to hold interfaith prayers in Kwara signals more than spiritual outreach—it reflects growing anxiety over the party's grip on the state ahead of 2027. Kwara, once a stronghold of the now-defunct PDP under the Saraki dynasty, has seen shifting loyalties, and the APC's public turn to religious unity suggests a recognition that political support here hinges on delicate religious and ethnic balances. The involvement of the Chief Imam of Osi and Christian pastors underscores the party's attempt to position itself as a unifying force, not just a political machine.
This move comes at a time when intra-party tensions and defections have weakened the APC's structure in parts of northern Nigeria. By aligning with respected religious figures, the party is attempting to build grassroots legitimacy that transcends campaign rhetoric. The choice of Osi, a town with mixed religious demographics, is deliberate—aimed at projecting inclusivity in a region where sectarian lines can influence voting patterns.
For ordinary residents of Kwara, such events offer little immediate relief from daily struggles with power, inflation, and insecurity. But they do shape the political environment in which citizens make choices, often rewarding symbolism over substance. If the APC's outreach is not matched with policy delivery, the prayers may be remembered more for their optics than their outcomes.
This is not the first time Nigerian parties have turned to religion ahead of elections. It fits a well-worn pattern where faith becomes a political tool, invoked more during campaigns than governance.
