By Samson Adeyanju
The Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Michael ‘Leke Banjo, has urged Catholic Knights and Ladies across the country to develop a coordinated national strategy for civic engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning against mere participation without clear planning.
Fr. Banjo gave the charge on Friday during an address to members of the Joint All Catholic Knights at their annual summit held at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja.
It is worthy to note that JACKS brings together the three Catholic knightly bodies in the Church, the Papal Knights, the Knights of St Mulumba Nigeria, and the Knights of St John International for common understanding and coordinated action in defending the faith and projecting Catholic values in society.
The CSN Scribe said the summit theme, “2027 General Elections: The Catholic Knights, Politics, Power, and Influence for the Common Good,” demanded intentional organisation as the nation moves steadily toward another defining election season.
According to him, the question is no longer whether Catholic Knights should be engaged in national affairs, but how they will be engaged.
He asked whether the Orders have a coordinated civic framework and whether members are being formed in Catholic social teaching, constitutional literacy and ethical leadership.
He also urged the Knights to identify and mentor credible Catholics for principled public service.
“Do not simply participate in the 2027 process. Design your contribution to it,” he said, stressing that their planning and national coordination must reflect their stated vision of influence for the common good.
Also speaking at the summit, Rev. Fr. Augustine Okochi warned that Catholic Knights must not remain silent while Nigeria “bleeds,” insisting that worsening insecurity, hunger and hardship require more than Church statements from the pulpit.
Okochi gave the charge during the opening Mass and in a speech titled “The Sword of Truth in the Arena of Politics,” where he described the Knights as a “mobilised lay army of the Church” capable of bridging the gap between the sanctuary and the corridors of power.
Drawing from Mark 7:31-37, he likened Nigerian politics to the Decapolis and said Knights cannot “sanitise” politics from outside it.
He described the political environment as one where leaders are deaf to the cries of the poor and victims of insecurity, while many citizens have been rendered mute through intimidation and propaganda.
Okochi urged the Knights to embrace the message of “Ephphatha” meaning “Be opened,” calling for opened ears to hear the pains of Nigerians and opened tongues to speak plainly against injustice and corruption.
He challenged the Orders to mobilise voters, resist the monetisation of democracy, and support credible candidates guided by conscience, competence and Catholic social teaching, insisting that the ballot box must become part of the Knights’ battlefield for the nation’s common good.
On his part, the Deputy Supreme Knight of the Knights of St Mulumba (KSM), Sir Dan Egwu has urged Catholic Knights in Nigeria to strengthen collaboration and speak with one voice ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the country needs a stronger moral compass as it battles multiple challenges.
He said the summit’s focus on the coming elections was aimed at helping Knights participate effectively by mobilising citizens for voter registration, encouraging active voting, and providing accurate civic information to help Nigerians choose credible leaders.
According to him, the Knights also have a duty to help “demonetise” the political space and reduce the culture of vote-buying and transactional politics.
In his goodwill message at the event, the Chairman, Sir James A. Kanyip, urged Catholic Knights to reject political indifference ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that “neutrality is no longer an option.”
Kanyip, a Knight of St. Mulumba and Kaduna State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, described politics as a difficult but noble service, insisting that power must be exercised as stewardship and influence as moral persuasion anchored on good intentions.
Quoting Sir Thomas More’s famous line, “I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first,” Kanyip said Knights must balance citizenship with discipleship by engaging the political process through voter registration, voting, candidate engagement and support for credible leadership.
He also called on Knights to mentor young people and offer their expertise in governance, boards and advisory platforms, warning that withdrawal from public affairs could leave Catholics like the proverbial chicken whose fate was decided in its absence.
