Ebenezer Obadare's Pentecostal Republic

What was even more peculiar about these billboards was the manner in which the name of the Vice-Presidential candidate, Yemi Osinbajo, was styled as ‘Pastor’, conspicuously replacing his more common designation of ‘Professor’, which he gained due to his position as a legal scholar. Beyond signalling the image of the Buhari-Osinbajo ticket as ‘God-fearing and righteous’ and how such an administration would wield the power of the state in contrast to the main opposition candidates in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), this subtle yet clever substitution highlights the interplay of religion and electoral politics in the Nigerian democratic process. Where candidates court congregational constituencies to embellish their Pentecostal bona fides, religious agents weaponize symbolism and Biblical tropes to endorse or challenge the ruling class. More importantly, this campaign messaging documents the ascension of a member of the ecumenical cohort to the highest echelons of political power in Nigeria.