RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE ON POLITICS: A CATCH OF THE NIGERIAN STATE TOWARDS NATIONHOOD

Résumé

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes it explicit that Nigeria is a secular state, where all religious dimensions or elements are supposedly not to have any influence on its political or civic affairs. This exempts religion from the running of the public organisations and schemes, and also excludes it from the philosophical and moral system of the nation. Although, the secular nature of the Nigerian state does not imply the absence of religions in the state, but the prohibition of a state sponsored religion, where the choice of the religious tenets of the compatriots is managed in such a way that it does not exert significant impacts on the nation's politics. However, the political landscape of Nigeria is saturated with religious influences, such that it becomes difficult to separate them. Perhaps, this posed a great challenge to the aspiration of the Nigerian state towards nationhood. The article seeks to evaluate the problems of religious dabbling in politics, with the aim of suggesting prospects for meaningful governance and development in the country.