Nsukka, Nigeria — Since early childhood, Chidi Nwaohia’s life has swung like a pendulum between two spiritual paths: Christianity and African traditional religion.

His life was always marked by mystery, says the 59-year-old who was raised a devout nondenominational Christian in Amachi Nsulu, near Aba in southeast Nigeria.

Before he had turned a year old, he strayed overnight and went missing. “I was found the next morning in the same trench they searched the previous day,” he said.

Three days later, he had a sudden fit and fell gravely ill. His parents took him to a hospital, but when his condition did not improve, they approached a traditional healer for answers. The dibia (priest and medicine man) attributed his illness to the gods, saying it was a sign of Nwaohia’s inescapable destiny to lead his people in the ancient traditions of the Igbo people.

“The dibia said I was the reincarnation of my grandfather,” Nwaohia said. “His return to the earth as a powerful traditional priest was foretold [before he died].”

Such doctrine is not uncommon in cultures and spiritual practices across West Africa. But Nwaohia’s mother, due to her deep Christian faith, received the prophecy with doubt and kept it from her son.

When Nwaohia turned 17 in 1983, he was baptised. But on the day of the baptism, he had an accident. “While riding my motorbike home with the man who baptised me, I suddenly veered into the bush and sustained fleshly injuries, but my co-rider was unscathed,” he said, later coming to the conclusion that it was a sign he was on the wrong path.

But back then, Nwaohia was still ignorant of the prophecy, so at age 18, he became a Bible teacher at a church in his hometown.

After another road accident – a car crash in 1987 – left him with a limp and leg injuries he said would not heal despite years of hospital care, he took a friend’s advice and went to a medicine man for help. The wounds, the dibia told him, were signs that Nwaohia’s calling to the priesthood in the African traditional faith was due.

Nwaohia, then 23, told his mother what the dibia said. She finally revealed the prophecy she received about him many years ago. Although she was hesitant about it, he felt his path was now clearer, and gradually, he accepted his new spiritual role.

“People who identify and follow their true path will thrive, while those who stray will face difficulties until they find their way back,” said Nwaohia, who claims his leg injury healed on its own after he embraced his calling.

He was officially ordained a dibia in 1993, in an elaborate ceremony that included prayers, rituals of purification and vision, as well as frenzied dances, drumming and initiations. Other spiritualists offered Igbo prayers to Chukwu (the supreme being), Ndi Ichie (the ancestors), and the gods and spirits that control the physical and spiritual worlds, asking for acceptance, guidance, protection and blessings.

Christianity is the number one religion in Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people. But in the years since Nwaohia changed his spiritual path, a growing number of young people have been moving away from monotheistic faiths towards Indigenous African beliefs, according to religious leaders and observers Al Jazeera spoke to.

There is a dearth of data and research on the issue, observers said, but they started noticing the trend in the early 2000s. Many attribute it to growing apathy towards Christianity, but some say pastors focusing on material wealth over spiritual wellbeing – something contrary to the Bible’s teachings – leads people to consider alternative religious options.

Christianity was first brought to Nigeria by Portuguese traders and slavers in the 15th century. However, the faith was restricted to the coastal areas of the country where they were based. It remained so until the arrival of British colonialists in the 19th century. The Christian faith then spread to various parts of Nigeria through the efforts of missionaries and some emancipated slaves.

But before the introduction of Christianity and other monotheistic faiths like Islam, Nigerians had a religious belief system focused on deep connections with the ancestors, the physical and spiritual worlds, and community-specific deities.

Today, many converts leaving Christianity face opposition at home. Nwaohia’s mother, for one, was initially unhappy about his decision to become a dibia, seeing his conversion as an affront to her beliefs.

Families of converts also fear the social stigma associated with traditional beliefs. Many communities view ancestors, divination and other spiritual rites with mistrust. Worshippers can face severe discrimination, with beliefs branded “pagan”, “demonic” or “witchcraft”. This reflects colonial missionaries’ influence, which portrayed Indigenous faith as archaic and spiritually perilous, observers say.

However, for adherents of African traditional religion, both beliefs often coexist.

Some people attend church on Sundays while seeking advice from a dibia at other times, all the while participating in both Christian and traditional rituals like naming ceremonies or funerals.

The adherents of traditional faith interviewed by Al Jazeera say all religious divinity is captured in their pantheon, including the Christian God. As a result, many blend Christian and Indigenous practices.

This approach to religion has become attractive in a society where religious zealotry has caused division and violence, including conflict between Christians and Muslims.

Echezona Obiagbaosogu, 49, a former Catholic priest who now practises both Christian and traditional faiths, recounted the story of a man who remained both a devoted Christian and a rainmaker, even serving on the parish council until his death. However, despite such examples of harmonious coexistence, he noted that some zealous preachers say the faiths are incompatible.

The search for personal conviction is inspiring a return to the kind of faith many Africans link to their roots. Obiagbaosogu, at one point in his journey as a priest, found himself questioning whether his spiritual path was truly in sync with his inner convictions.

“I felt that maybe my personal relationship with God needed something more from me,” he said, without elaborating on what he felt was missing. After seven years of internal struggle and finding no relief in Christianity, he embraced traditional religion in 2022, his 16th year as a priest.

He had also faced similar challenges in the seminary where he studied, leading him to start a society for African culture with his colleagues to explore African religious concepts or practices and their place in Christianity.

Obiagbaosogu believes both traditional and Christian religious practices offer different perspectives on understanding the supernatural.

“Humans crown realities and create concepts, and we become slaves to the concepts we create. Nothing happens when you decide to recuse yourself from the concepts,” he said.

Beyond the spiritual aspects, some say flawed perceptions and the search for easy wealth have also contributed to the growing trend of young people moving from Christianity to African traditional religion.

Many young people embrace traditional beliefs thinking it will lead to wealth, some clergy say, due to the belief that alignment with the deities and spirits can grant blessings, financial breakthroughs or supernatural aid in personal and economic endeavours.

“They are very interested in money, and the African traditional religion offers them an easy way to make some,” said Anthony Oluba, a Catholic priest.

But some argue that it is in fact Christian churches’ emphasis on material wealth that has caused them to want to leave the religion.

Kingsley Akunwafor, 31, a tailor and former Catholic, said the commercialisation of some Christian churches and their preference for wealthy individuals undermines religious credibility and has led to growing apathy towards Christianity.

Clerics demand offerings for miracles and blessings, distracting the Christian church from core responsibilities, including the spiritual welfare of members, said Akunwafor, who requested a pseudonym as he now practises traditional beliefs in secret.

Some clergy are also accused of wanting to make money off the church for personal gain.

Joel Ugwoke, an Anglican priest, told Al Jazeera he knows a businessman who lost confidence in the institution after he sold a Pentecostal pastor a power generator for the church. The pastor asked the businessman to inflate the price on invoices to the church so that he could pocket the difference without arousing suspicion.

Chinedu Oshaba, 37, another former Catholic, embraced traditional faith more than a decade ago after witnessing the Church prioritising money over empathy.

A devoted member was denied a church burial because of unpaid levies. With no one to settle her debt, another church of a different denomination eventually conducted her funeral. “They stripped her of her membership, throwing away all her years of dedication,” Oshaba said.

Many orthodox churches collect monthly or annual levies from members, including to feed priests and bishops, maintain church buildings, and help bury members. However, in Indigenous faith, burial rites are granted to all members regardless of financial status. Oshaba sees this as an advantage over Christian churches, where the bereaved are charged for funeral services, including fees for officiating clerics and church facilities.

Some Christian clerics have observed the trend of more people seemingly moving towards African spirituality. There are ongoing reforms and conversations across diverse denominations on how to appeal to worshippers, religious leaders said.

Oluba’s Catholic congregation, for instance, appeals to people by providing support with agriculture, through training opportunities and grants, while Anglican priest Ugwoke says he is careful about his approach to church doctrine and how he teaches it.

“I practise what I preach because they [the congregation] focus more on me than what I preach,” Ugwoke told Al Jazeera.

Christianity through colonialism became prominent in Nigeria in the 20th century, quickly being introduced in schools in the southern part of the country. The spread was sometimes marked by violence, which killed people and displaced the Indigenous peoples who survived.

“When you deceive or conquer one, two, or three generations of a people, there’ll always be the descendant generations that will defy you, having known the truth by themselves and for themselves,” said Chijioke Ngobili, a historian.

Now, as social media empowers free speech, more young people are speaking up about the colonial atrocities in Nigeria. This, some observers say, is creating a threat to the dominance of Christianity.

“With young adherents of Indigenous spirituality potentially becoming future intellectuals, politicians, capitalists and policymakers, Christianity may be dislodged,” said Ngobili, who is also an adherent of traditional faith.

Some churches have reported a scarcity of young members, who are often the ones to lead music and singing during church sessions. “One church even stopped using musical instruments because its young male members left for Indigenous faith,” said Oluba, the Catholic priest.

With more young people leaving, Oluba worries about the church losing its role as a beacon of morality and conscience in society. Meanwhile, other clerics worry about the young people embracing traditional faith to use it to gain wealth and power through black magic.

However, historian Ngobili argues that dark forces are not inherent to traditional faith, but rather brought in by those with negative intentions.

“The bad ones take their vices – such as greed, desire for wealth without work, instant gratification, violence, among others – into the practice of Indigenous faiths,” he said.

The misuse of certain powerful practices and processes is what tarnishes the image of traditional faith, he said, leading to societal mistrust and reinforcing negative stereotypes.

At sunset on a day in January, in his hometown of Amachi Nsulu, Nwaohia gathered outdoors on the grounds of his shrine, preparing to invoke the gods.

With his index finger, he marked the outer sides of his eyes with a white kaolin before gulping a mouthful of gin from a bottle. Then, with a pinch of kola nut between his fingers, he moved slowly between the various figurines of his oracles, decorated in animal blood.

“Our ancestors ate kola. Spirits drink,” he said, pouring droplets of the gin.

Since converting, Nwaohia has been absorbed deeply in what he believes is the true faith that draws him closer to the spirits of his ancestry, and the goodwill of his forefathers, diligently following the rules of rituals he has learned.

The African way of worship sees prayers take place in the morning and at sunset, often accompanied by libations, with hot drinks, kola nut and kaolin. Stones, carved images and trees are considered homes for the gods, and are often used as the representation of their presence.

Then there are annual and seasonal festivals to mark the harvest seasons, as well as masquerade ceremonies. Offerings, including kola nut, yams, other food or sacrificial animals, are made at shrines to seek blessings, protection or guidance. Blood sacrifices of fowls or goats are performed to appease spirits or mark events.

But there is no written law to guide adherents into specific acts.

Worshippers believe that there is a connection between humans and natural elements like the earth, water, plants and animals, and that certain wrongdoings – including murder, adultery and injustice – are not just an offence against humans but the entirety of nature.

Instead of gathering in a common assembly, like churches, members largely spend quiet times in reflection and seeking truth and fairness in their own actions.

But for converts, this can present a challenge: a lack of mentors. For a faith based on personal meditation, without leaders who guide and give sermons in churches, new worshippers can wallow in confusion.

This, when added to the shrouded nature of certain ritualistic practices in the faith, provides a less organised structure for learning and understanding key doctrines.

Young adherents from Christian homes often bear the brunt, as there is no generational transfer of knowledge.

“When I left the church, my father set up my shrine for me and taught me everything,” said Oshaba, whose father had converted to African traditional religion before he was born. But most others do not have a guide.

In extreme cases, stigma causes family and friends to ostracise new converts. For this reason, Akunwafor says he is forced to occasionally attend the Catholic Church to avoid being sidelined by his friends and relatives.

The tailor has practised his traditional faith secretly since he converted about five years ago.

“I am very bothered by my inability to practise my faith openly because of wrong perceptions about it, but I’m hopeful that my God will give me confidence eventually,” he said.

Similarly, Obiagbaosogu did not have an easy transition. “I lost friends,” he told Al Jazeera. “My relationship with others may not have been smooth, but we are moving forward and I’m building new connections.”

However, on rare occasions, loved ones do come around. In Nwaohia’s case, although his mother was initially displeased, eventually the whole family welcomed his new life as a traditional priest.

“My God has prospered me,” Nwaohia said. “I’ve not had any reason to cry since I became a dibia.”

Wit Sheriff Oborevwori now inside di All Progressives Congress (APC), di colours on di political map of di South South don change.

Oborevwori, di Delta state govnor officially dump di party wey bring am into power, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to jump inside APC on Monday.

Tori of im defection bin first spread afta video circulate for social media wia di govnor and im cabinet members declare support for Tinubu wit popular song wey dey linked to am.

Di ordinary believe na say di Delta state govnor defect into di ruling party just to secure im political future.

Im defection don give APC, three out of di six South-South states wey be traditional stronghold of di PDP for more dan 20 year.

Di three states for di region wey dey under APC rule na Cross River, Edo and Delta while Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Bayelsa still dey under PDP control.

Tori don also begin spread say two more PDP-controlled states go soon enta APC hand.

And all dis na for di 2027 election and beyond.

“Of course e dey obvious say di PDP don lose plenty ground for Nigeria. Check how many states dem bin dey control for 2015 and how many states dem dey control now,” Lekan Ige, ogbonge political sabi pesin, tell BBC Pidgin.

“PDP bin dey in charge of 11 states but as di Delta State govnor don comot now, dem just dey in charge of 10. And rumours still dey fly say di govnors of Akwa Ibom and Rivers State fit still comot to join APC.

“At a time for dis kontri, di PDP bin dey control di executive arm of goment and di national assembly, today dem be opposition. So e dey clear say dem don lose plenty ground and popularity,” Oga Ige tok.

Nigeria risk becoming one party state

As PDP dey collect big blow sake of di current pollical scene wia many of im members dey run go di ruling party APC, some analysts say di reasons why some pesin dey defect go anoda party, especially di ruling party na to hide dia bad records, so dem go fit hide under di party.

Howeva, di concern now be say dis defection fit lead Nigeria to enta one party system wey be say opposition no go even dey again.

Akinola Ayobami wey be political analyst say one party system na trend wey dey worry di current Nigeria politics.

E say dis one-party system na political structure wia one single party go just dominate di govment and even no room go dey for opposition or oda voices.

“Sake of di current political landscape, e be like Nigeria dey move towards a one-party system. Di current president don previously show dis style of governance wen im be Govnor of Lagos state, and e be like say e wan do same tin for di federal level.”

Just like odas, Ayobami worry say one party system for Nigeria go just give single control ova di three arms of govment and opposition no go fit speak up wen matter dey go wrong.

In recent times, we don see Senators and House of Representatives members for Nigeria dey defect from di PDP to di APC, and di move dey point to one direction say dem dey chook eyes for di 2027 general elections.

“Di recent trends of defection between di PDP and di APC for Nigeria dey expose di kontri politics, as e be like say political parties and politicians dey about self-interest and to pursue power instead of commitment to public service.

Di analyst point am out say politicians wey dey put personal gain first, go dey use state resources for dia own benefit, instead of make dem ‘deliver public goods and services.’

Many pipo dey worry say if Nigeria enta one party system, e mean say checks and balances no go dey again for govment as e be say na one party dey control dem.

Howeva, even though one party system don dey successful for some kontri sake of strong leadership and integrity, analysts say di result for Nigeria fit end in disaster.

“Di lack of accountability and transparency go lead to further corruption and mismanagement of resources, wey go end for poverty and inequality. Di implications of dis trend dey serious, and e include lack of vision and direction, and di risk of a one-party system.

“To avoid dis risks, Nigeria politicians need to prioritize di public good ova personal interests and work to build a more accountable and transparent democracy,” Akinola add.

But Oga Ige no believe say APC go swallow di oda opposition parties sotay Nigeria go become one-party.

“I no tink say e dey possible. Wetin dey happen now no be new tin so to say. Na normal tin wey dey usually happen wen election season don dey around di corner,” Ige said.

“Even wen dem newly form di APC bifor di 2015 general election, plenty pipo bin decamp from di PDP to join dem, including some guvnors and even di Vice President Atiku Abubakar dat time. Shey Nigeria become one-party kontri? No. So e no be new tin.”

Di presidency too no agree wit many pipo ontop allegation say dem wan create one party state.

Special Adviser to di President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga insist say im principal, Bola Tinubu na democrat wey allow all parties exist at di same level.

“We don read di alarming claims of disgruntled opposition figures, some partisan human rights crusaders and emergency defenders of democracy over recent defections of key members of opposition parties into di governing All Progressives Congress,” e tok for statement.

E add say “We must add say no policy, official action, or directive from di presidency seek to ‘dismantle democracy’ or ‘weaken opposition or create a one-party state.

“Accusations of bribery, blackmail, and di weaponisation of state institutions only exist in di idle mind of politicians and dia agents wey don fail in dia role as opposition.”

Onanuga statement conclude say opposition political parties for Nigeria don fail to do dia work.

Wetin e mean for di pipo?

Even if analysts no fit tok for a fact say Nigeria fit dey head to a one party system, e clear say di political manoeuvring no necessarily dey in di interest of di pipo.

“Di job of di opposition na to always keep di ruling party on dia toes, and wen di opposition dey weak or no dey at all, di pipo in goment go dey do wetin dem like and e dey put di masses in a difficult situation, Oga Ige tok.

“If we go into election di way tins dey now, wit a very strong ruling party and very weak opposition, plenty pipo go dey disenchanted and dem no go wan come out to vote, and di pipo wey even go out to vote no go get any wahala wit selling dia votes, afta all, dem go say na still di ruling party go still win las las.”

Di only way to cure di argument of di issue of one-party system for Nigeria na for us to get stronger opposition political parties, Oga Ige add.

“Until we dey able to do dat, we go continue to dey struggle wit di disappointment wey many Nigerians dey suffer for di hands of dia elected leaders,” e tok.

And with PDP and Labour Party inside serious political divisions, eye don dey on di coalition wey politicians dey try to form.

Weda di coalition, or single opposition parties fit do anything to remove di ruling APC from power na anoda hard question.

Di death of Pope Francis don lead to speculation say di next leader of di Catholic Church go be from Africa.

But di Church bin don get Africans for di top bifor.

Historians believe say e bin get three popes wit connections to di continent, di most recent wey bin reign over 1,500 years ago.

Dey all dey believed to be of North African descent. Di Roman Empire bin stretch across modern-day Tunisia, di north-east of Algeria and di coast of western Libya.

Bifor di establishment of Islam in di seventh century, Christianity bin get strong presence in di region.

Prof Christopher Bellitto, from Kean University in di US, tell BBC say: “North Africa na di Bible Belt of ancient Christianity.”

While little dey known about di personal lives and backgrounds of di last three African popes, historians agree say all bin play significant role in di early history of di Catholic Church.

In fact, all three popes don dey recognised in di Church as saints.

Victor I (AD189-199)

Dem tink say e be of Berber origin, Pope Victor I bin dey in charge of di Catholic Church for time of regular persecution of Christians sake of dem no gree to accept and worship Roman gods.

E bin perhaps dey best known say e make sure say Christians celebrate Easter on a Sunday.

In di second century, some Christian groups from di Roman province of Asia (in modern-day Turkey) bin celebrate Easter on di same day wey di Jews bin dey celebrate Passover, wey fit fall on different days of di week.

However, Christians in di Western part of di Empire believe say Jesus dey resurrected on a Sunday, so Easter suppose always dey celebrated on dat day.

Di debate over wen di resurrection bin happun make am real issue of argument.

Di ‘Easter controversy’ dey symbolic of larger conflicts between East and West wey dey worry wit whether or not Christians suppose follow Jewish practices.

Victor I bin call di very first Roman Synod – one gathering of Church leaders – to resolve di mata.

E bin do dis wit threat to excommunicate from di Church those bishops wey refuse to comply wit im wishes.

“E bin rather be forceful voice for getting everyone on di same page,” Prof Bellitto tok.

Dis be one impressive feat, Bellitto tok, sake of say, “e be di Bishop of Rome wen Christianity bin dey illegal in di Roman empire.”

Anoda important part of Victor I legacy na to introduce Latin as di common language of di Catholic Church. Before, Ancient Greek na di primary language of di Catholic Liturgy as well as official communication for di Church.

Victor I imself bin write in – and speak – Latin, wey dey widely spoken in North Africa.

Miltiades (AD311-314)

Pope Miltiades dey believed to dey been born in Africa.

During im reign, Christianity bin gain increasing acceptance from successive Roman emperors, e eventually become di Empire official religion.

Bifor dis, di persecution of Christians don dey widespread at different points in di Empire history.

However, Prof Bellitto bin point out say Militiades no dey responsible for dis change, say di Pope be di “recipient of di Roman benevolence” rather dan being a great negotiator.

Di Roman Emperor Constantine bin give Miltiades palace, e become di first pope to get official residence.

E also dey granted permission by Constantine to build di Lateran Basilica, now di oldest public church in Rome.

While modern popes live and work for di Vatican, di Lateran church sometimes dey referred to in Catholicism as “di mother of all churches”.

Gelasius I (AD492-496)

Gelasius I na di only one of di three African popes wey historians believe say dem no born for Africa.

“Reference to am say e be . . . Roman-born. So we no know if e [ever] live for North Africa, but e dey clear say e be of North African descent,” Prof Bellitto explain.

E be di most important of di three African church leaders, according to Prof Bellitto.

Gelasius I dey widely recognised as di first pope to officially dey called di “Vicar of Christ”, term wey signify Pope role as Christ representative on Earth.

E bin also develop di Doctrine of di Two Swords, wey bin emphasise di separate-but-equal powers of di Church and di state.

Gelasius I bin make di critical distinction wey both powers give to di Church by God, wey den delegate earthly power to di state, wey make di Church ultimately superior.

“Later on, in di Middle Ages, Popes sometimes bin try to veto di selection of emperor or a king, sake of say dem tok say God give dem dat power,” Prof Bellitto tok.

Gelasius I dey remembered, too, for im response to di Acacian Schism – one split between di Eastern and Western Christian Churches from 484 to 519.

During dis period, Gelasius I bin establish di supremacy of Rome and di papacy over di entire Church, East and West, wey experts believe say bin go further dan any of im predecessors.

Gelasius also dey responsible for one popular celebration wey dem still dey mark every year, establish St Valentine’s Day on 14 February in 496 to commemorate di Christian martyr St Valentine.

Some accounts say Valentine be priest wey bin kontinu to perform weddings in secret wen dem dey banned by Emperor Claudius II.

Historians believe say Valentine’s Day dey rooted in di Roman love and fertility festival, Lupercalia, and na move by Gelasius I to Christianise pagan traditions.

Wetin di Africa popes look like?

Prof Bellitto say no way to know wit any degree of accuracy wetin di three popes look like.

“We need to remember say di Roman Empire, and indeed di Middle Ages, no tink of race as we tink of am nowadays. E get notin to do wit skin colour,” e bin tell BBC

“Pipo for di Roman Empire no deal wit race, dem bin dealt wit ethnicity,” e tok.

Prof Philomena Mwaura na Associate Professor of Religious Studies for Kenyatta University in Nairobi. She stress say Roman Africa dey very multicultural, wit local Berber and Punic groups, freed slaves and pipo wey bin don come from Rome dey found there.

“Di North African community dey quite mixed, and na trade route also for many pipo wey bin dey involved in trade in dia earlier antiquity,” she bin explain to BBC.

Rather dan to identify wit some ethnic groups, she say, “most pipo wey belong to areas within di Roman Empire bin regard themselves as Roman.”

Why African pope never dey since?

Afta Gelasius I, no oda Pope dey believed to be from di Roman province of Africa.

“Di church for North Africa dey weakened by very many forces, including di fall of di Roman Empire and also di invasion of Muslims [into North Africa] for di 7th century,” Prof Mwaura tok.

However, some experts say di fact say Islam dey front for di region, no explain di absence of African Pope over di past two millennia.

Prof Bellitto say di process to elect new pontiff become “Italian monopoly” over di years.

However, e say di likelihood of a Pope from Asia or Africa in di next decades dey high sake of say Catholics for di southern hemisphere outnumber those for di north.

In fact, Catholicism dey expand more rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa today dan anywhere else.

Di latest figures show say e get 281 million Catholics for Africa in 2023. Dis account for 20% of di worldwide congregation.

But Prof Mwaura argue say “although Christianity dey very strong in Africa, di power of di Church still dey di north, wia di resources bin don dey.”

“Maybe, as e dey kontinu to dey very strong within di continent and dey support itself, den one time go come wen African pope go dey,” Prof Mwaura tok.

Afta Gelasius I, no oda popes dey believed to be from di Roman province of Africa