Veritatis Gaudium: Multidisciplinary Journal of Postgraduate Studies

The paper aims to present a biblical paradigm for leadership selection grounded in Deuteronomy 17:14–15, which explicitly commands Israel to appoint “one from among your own brothers” as king and prohibits the enthronement of a foreigner. Drawing from the creational mandate in Genesis 2:15 — where humanity is commanded to “work” (avad) and “keep/guard” (shamar) the land — the study argues that responsible Christian political engagement in Nigeria must be rooted in these foundational texts. The Church, as an extension of biblical Israel, bears a theological responsibility to steward the land and influence governance in alignment with God’s covenantal principles rather than secular or pragmatic considerations. The paper critiques the Nigerian Church’s historical missteps, particularly in the 2015 and 2023 elections, where support for non-indigenous leadership contributed to the erosion of Christian voice, indigenous land rights, and security, turning farmlands into sites of violence. This study examines the theological and socio-political dimensions of territorial governance by contrasting biblical land models with contemporary political realities. The paper, in referencing Walter Brueggemann (2002), would help to encourage Nigerian Christians and indigenous people that Nigerian future elections must view land as a divine gift to be nurtured through covenant memory and stewardship by electing their own who understands land covenant relationship. The study urges Nigerian Christians and indigenous communities to urgently recover these biblical mandates in their political theology and electoral decisions. By embracing Genesis 2:15 and Deuteronomy 17:14–15 as guiding principles for leadership selection, the Church can fulfill its missional calling to occupy and steward the land faithfully until Christ’s return (Luke 19:13), ensuring governance that honors God’s design for His people and their inheritance. This biblical approach offers a prophetic alternative to prevailing political patterns and calls for renewed theological education among Christian politicians and voters. To prevent further disenfranchisement, the Church and indigenous communities must actively educate the electorate and Christian politicians on biblical paradigms of leadership selection, ensuring chosen leaders are committed to preserving the community's territorial and covenantal heritage. Looking at the contemporary Nigerian state, the study argues that the Christian electorate's failure to apply these biblical benchmarks in the 2015 and 2023 general elections resulted in severe political marginalization and widespread territorial insecurity. The persistent loss of land and political autonomy among indigenous communities and Christian populations often stems from a deficient theological understanding of land stewardship. Historically rooted in Judaism, the Christian Church possesses a foundational mandate—expressed through the Hebraic concept of shamar (Genesis 2:15)—to actively manage, guard, and govern territorial spaces rather than treating land as a merely secular concern.

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