The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has made it clear that no amount of politicking can stop him from visiting churches to which he is often invited for one programme or the other.
Peter Obi, who reacted to what he called “uncharitable” statement credited to Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, accusing him of dragging the Church into politics through his constant appearances in churches, said it is on record that he has been attending church programmes to which he was invited, including those organized by the Churches.
A statement yesterday, September 2, by his Special Adviser on Media, Valentine Obienyem, quoted the LP flag bearer thus: “Should Obi start shunning Church events because of politics, even when we know that since leaving office in 2014, that Obi has visited over 1000 schools and hospitals owned by the Churches, offering them all manner of support for the upgrade of their schools and hospitals that serve the citizens of Nigeria.”
He cautioned against bringing the name of the Church into disrepute, warning that those doing such are those linking genuine actions of patriots to politics, even when it is absolutely unnecessary.
He said that the reference to politics is unnecessary because electioneering had not started, even as he disagreed with Governor Okowa on distinguishing those to be reached out to or not.
“Why would Okowa suggest that it is wrong for anybody to reach out to the Churches? Is this not contemptuous of Churches?
“Everybody is affected by the bad governance in the country and should expectedly be involved in the efforts to enthrone good governance. He should be told about the difference between being politically aware and getting involved in active politics.
“Very soon, they will start to criminalize the encounter Obi is having with Nigerians in Diaspora.”
He assured Nigerians that Obi would not get tired of preaching to Nigerians about good governance and the need for them to take back their country.
He called on other patriots to join in the crusade rather than wishing people to keep quiet so that the status quo would remain the same.
