Nigeria, Sept. 14 -- The most dangerous moment for a religious institution is not necessarily when political power attacks it. It may be when political power embraces it so warmly that the institution forgets why it exists. Persecution can clarify conviction; patronage often dissolves it. The church rarely loses its moral authority in one dramatic surrender. More often, it trades that authority away gradually - one invitation, one title, one endorsement and one photograph with power at a time.

That is why the decision of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027 deserves more than partisan applause or outrage. At its 2026 synod at the National Christian Centre in Abuja, h...