Lagos, Nigeria, Oct 22, 2018 / 18:00 pm
Nigeria's vice president accused "religious leaders" of impeding efforts to rid the country of corruption ahead of a February election that has elevated tension between Christian leaders and government officials in the country.
Speaking at an economic summit Monday, Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said that the "the Nigerian elite," including "religious leaders" have intervened in his efforts to remove corrupt officials from their posts. The vice president also mentioned that business and political leaders have also tried to influence his political decisions.
Osinbajo did not elaborate on his comment about the intervention of religious leaders in the country's governance, or clarify whether he meant Muslim or Christian leaders. In recent months, however Christian leaders in the country have accused the presidential administration of failing to take a proactive approach to mitigate inter-religious violence.
On Oct. 8, a prominent Nigerian pentecostal leader criticized Osinbajo for not doing more to protect the interests of Christians in the country.