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Abstract
Politicizing religion has been a topic of contention, with some arguing that doing so undermines the fundamental purpose of faith or God’s creation. Religion has a significant impact on people’s lives and choices all around the country. It has far-reaching consequences, influencing not only interpersonal interactions but also style, food, and political leanings. As a result of the intertwined nature of faith and civic engagement, every person has the opportunity to effect positive change in the world. Religion has an effect on many facets of modern society, including politics. The study’s goals were to determine how religious values and beliefs shape the choices, indecisions, and interactions of individuals and faith-based organizations in a pluralized economic and political state like Nigeria; to analyze how religious movements and religion affect the relationships between states and societies; and determine how religious movements and religion shape voter behavior during and after periodic elections. Over the course of the research, 150 participants filled out questionnaires to provide quantitative data for the study. The study found that the interplay of religion and government in Nigeria is exceptionally complicated. This is because the majority of the population in Nigeria’s two largest ethnic regions (the North and the West) adheres to Islam and the majority of the Igbo and the south- south population adheres to Christianity. That is to say, both of the country’s main faiths are widely practiced everywhere. As a result of this quirk, Nigeria can feel secure in its secular identity. However, religious pluralism and the politicization of religious issues have always been a challenge to Nigeria’s secularity. An effective electoral democracy and a powerful, united nation cannot be built without first addressing the danger posed by ethnicity and ethnic bloc voting, as suggested by the study. To achieve this goal, efforts should be made to formulate a set of constitutionally-enshrined principles for nation-building. The road forward also requires
teaching the population about religion and elections, and there must be a commitment to ensuring that the benefits of economic and infrastructure growth are shared fairly. It is important to promote religious tolerance and mutual understanding, especially among Christians, Muslims, and African Traditionalists.
teaching the population about religion and elections, and there must be a commitment to ensuring that the benefits of economic and infrastructure growth are shared fairly. It is important to promote religious tolerance and mutual understanding, especially among Christians, Muslims, and African Traditionalists.
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