Jonathan's Re-Election: Catholic Church Disagrees With Father Mbaka

The Catholic Church has washed its hands off the ongoing controversy
over the strong criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan by Rev Father
Ejike Mbaka of Adoration Ministries in Enugu, accusing him of
double-speaking.

The church said it did not authorise Mbaka to speak on its behalf,
insisting that it is wrong for Mbaka to endorse the president and
later warn the electorate not to vote for him during the February 14
presidential poll.

The church added that it did not have an official position on whose
candidate the Catholic faithful should vote for, saying that as the
largest Christian group, it is illogical for it to direct members to
vote for certain candidates as the voters have the prerogative to
exercise their inalienable rights in such a situation.

A catholic faithful, Mr Callistus Ebue, disclosed this during an
interview with LEADERSHIP last night in Enugu.

He said, "The Catholic Church did not authorise Rev Father Mbaka to
speak on its behalf. There is no way the church, with millions of its
members, make a pronouncement on who to vote for during the February
14 presidential election. The church does not have an official
position in this regard. The decision to vote for any candidate is the
prerogative right of the church faithful just like any other
Nigerian."

While some of the Catholics in Enugu argue that Mbaka might have been
led by the Holy Spirit in his pronouncement over Jonathan's
re-election bid, others said that the cleric ought not to have dabbled
into the murky waters of politics.

According to a Catholic knight, Sir Abuchi Anueghiagu, Mbaka was
initially inspired by the Holy Spirit to endorse the re-election of
Jonathan, saying, however, that whatever Mbaka pronounced during his
homily at the Adoration Ministries ground on December 31, 2014, was
also a function of the leading of the Holy Spirit.

According to him, as an ordained priest in charge of a parish, Christ
the King Parish, and the spiritual director of Adoration Ministries,
nobody is qualified to challenge any sermon he delivers from the
altar.

But another knight of the Catholic Church who spoke to LEADERSHIP on
condition of anonymity condemned Mbaka of speaking from both sides of
his mouth.

He said that having previously blessed Jonathan on his re-election
bid, he ought not to have made a volte-face. He advised priests to be
cautions of their pronouncements from the altar, as whatever they say
has a way of affecting their followers either negatively or
positively.

The Catholic bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rev Dr Calistus Onaga, could not
be reached at the time of filing this report last night.