The role of religion in Nigerian politics and its sustainability for political development

Abstract

Religion has taken a position of importance in Nigerian politics. The nation is the most populous country in West Africa and vest with religious diversities: Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion. These religions are intertwined with political activities in the country. The political office holders are misusing religion as a tool to get to power while religious leaders are mishandling it to get personal gain from those who hold public office. Thus, religion has been mostly used negatively in Nigerian politics since independence. The study makes use of descriptive methodology to explore how religion impulse has affected political development and how it can bring sustainable political development if used positively.

Keywords: Christianity, Islam, African Traditional Religion, religion, politics, sustainable political development.