Nigerian Catholic priest under fire for “preaching” against presidential candidate

A popular Catholic Charismatic priest has been publicly rebuked by his bishop for using the pulpit to criticize a candidate for the upcoming February presidential elections.

Father Ejike Mbaka, director of his Adoration Ministry Enugu, in his homily called Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party a "stingy young man" not capable of lead Africa’s most populous nation. 

“With this hunger ravaging the land, and you are saying he is the one you want; you want to die of hunger? Are you people insane? Where is the Holy Spirit?” he preached.

“Listen, a good old man is better than a young wicked man. Peter Obi is going nowhere as far as God lives,” Father Mbaka said.

This led to priests speaking in support of Peter Obi.

"I love this stingy man who gives money to the right people. I love this stingy man who doesn't drink champagne with the public fund but uses it to improve their lives. I love this stingy man whose integrity is top notch and who can't be deceived into showing off in the public,” said Father John Chinenye Oluoma.

Another priest, Father Kevin Oselumhense Anetor, pointed out how "Here in Nigeria, we have turned our priests and pastors to witch doctors who with a wave of their magic wand predict our futures.” 

"Unbecoming and divisive utterances"

Soon after, Bishop Callistus Chukwuma Valentine Onaga of Enugu wrote an official condemnation June 16 addressed to the “people of God” to say that Father Mbaka was in clear violation of the provisions of canon law which forbids priests from engaging in partisan politics.

“The Catholic Diocese of Enugu hereby condemns and disassociates herself from such unbecoming and divisive utterances,” he said.

To this Father Mbaka replied, “No, I didn’t apologize wholeheartedly, it was out of duress. I had to obey my bishop, in obedience I had to; it is not of my volition. I did it because I am a Catholic priest. My bishop said, ‘do it’, my own is ‘Yes my Lord’."

Peter Obi also weighed in telling the priest he is “still yet to know how I've offended you in person and as a priest you are. You are my brother as an Igbo man and we even go the same church, the Catholic.”

Earlier, Bishop Onaga had told Father Mbaka to relinquish his position of overseeing the activities of the Enugu Adoration as its spiritual director.

The bishop made it a chaplaincy bringing it under the control of the diocese with the power to appoint a chaplain to oversee its operations.

“There shall be no partisan politics either by way of active engagement or by prophetic naming of candidates for position of power,” Bishop Onaga said.

The bishop’s directives followed Father Mbaka's demand that President Muhammadu Buhari should resign or be impeached over “bad governance."

This is not the first time that Catholic priests in Nigeria have been told to refrain from using the pulpit to criticize politicians or to not talk politics.

Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja also criticized priests who make political prophesies in the name of God.

Archbishop Kaigama described priests who lay empty claims to divine authority by making false prophecies regarding the outcome of political contests as "political prophets" and urged clerics to live up to the demands of their calling.

“We must invoke the Holy Spirit to help us correct the erroneous understanding among some Christians today who confuse their imaginations, dreams or psychological delusions with the promptings of the Holy Spirit, going on to speak about politics and secular matters with dogmatic certitude and making categorical statements about which party or candidates will win elections," Archbishop Kaigama said.