I Don’t Attend Church Programmes To Solicit Votes — Peter Obi Replies Atiku’s Running Mate Okowa

Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi has responded to the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ifeanyi Okowa who accused him of soliciting votes from churches ahead of the elections.

Amid his growing popularity, Mr Obi has been receiving wild cheers from his supporters when he is introduced at functions, including in churches.

Obi’s spokesman Valentine Obienyem in a statement on Thursday said it is on record that Obi attends programmes he is invited to, and he would not stop doing so because some persons do not like the reception he gets.

“Should Obi start shunning Church events because of politics, even when we know that since leaving office in 2014, that Obi has visited over 1,000 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,” the statement said.

Obienyem, while cautioning against bringing the church into disrepute, said that those doing such are linking genuine actions of patriots to politics, even when it is absolutely unnecessary.

The statement disagreed with Okowa on distinguishing those to be reached out to or not, saying: “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,” Obienyem said.

Assuring Nigerians that Obi would not get tired of preaching to Nigerians about good governance and the need for the people of Nigeria to take back their country, Obienyem 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.