SPIRITUALISING THE SECULAR: RELIGION AND ACCOUNTABILITY EVASION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

In Nigeria, political elites increasingly employ a mechanism termed “spiritualising thesecular” to evade accountability. By framing governance failures—such as corruption, economic instability,and insecurity—as spiritual issues or divine will, state actors successfully shift responsibility away frominstitutional mismanagement. Utilizing Postcolonialism and Strategic Rhetoric/Framing theories, this studyanalyzes political discourse, public statements, and policy justifications. It examines the correlation betweenreligious rhetoric and major governance crises through historical analysis and specific case studies. Theresearch identifies specific mechanisms of evasion, including divine punishment framing and state-sponsored religious rituals. This instrumentalization of faith serves to pacify public discontent anddelegitimize dissent. The findings reveal a destructive cycle where spiritualisation erodes institutional trust,deepens ethno-religious polarization, and entrenches political impunity. To restore democraticaccountability, the article proposes a multi-pronged approach: enhancing civic education to foster criticalthinking, facilitating interfaith dialogue for inclusive governance, and implementing legal reforms to protectsecular boundaries. Addressing this metaphysical reframing of state failure is essential for advancingtransparent, performance-based governance and ensuring long-term socio-political stability in Nigeria.