Former President Goodluck Jonathan warned on Saturday that Nigeria is gradually treating killings and violence as routine, delivering a call for moral and spiritual renewal at the 13th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Abuja held at St James Anglican Church, Asokoro.
Jonathan said the growing level of violence and destruction across the country has weakened the nation’s sense of humanity, and called for urgent moral and national reflection. Speaking in a goodwill message at the Synod, he said incidents that once provoked collective grief and national outrage now pass largely without response.
Jonathan called for national reflection, spiritual renewal and responsible leadership amid the country’s worsening social and security challenges. He also pointed to the role of technology in accelerating the spread of harmful values, warning that platforms and information systems were enabling the celebration of wrong over good.
Also present at the event were former military Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, former Imo State governor Emeka Ihedioha, and Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represented Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Jonathan’s remarks came alongside a sweeping State of the Nation address delivered by Anglican Primate Henry Ndukuba, who covered insecurity, inflation, unemployment and the political climate heading into the 2027 elections. Ndukuba noted that although inflation had dropped from 27.6 percent in April 2025 to 15.15 percent in December 2025 before edging up to 15.38 percent in March 2026, and the naira had stabilised around N1,380 to the dollar, these improvements had not translated into relief for ordinary Nigerians.
Ndukuba called for sustained military offensives against criminal groups, improved support for local vigilantes and stricter prosecution of sponsors of violence, while also raising concern over growing drug trafficking and addiction, warning that Nigeria was gradually moving from a transit route to becoming a significant player in the narcotics trade.
The Synod’s theme, “The Priesthood of All Believers: Equipping God’s People for the Work of Ministry,” provided the backdrop for what became a broader national conversation on governance, security and moral authority in Nigeria.
Jonathan’s address arrives at a charged moment. A Federal High Court in Abuja is actively adjudicating a suit questioning his eligibility for the 2027 presidential race, a case his legal team has moved to dismiss on constitutional grounds. His Synod message, though framed in religious and civic terms, carries obvious resonance in a political environment where questions of leadership and national direction are intensifying.
