The Catholic Diocese of Enugu has demanded the immediate removal of its Auxiliary Bishop, Most Rev. Ernest Obodo, from the Enugu State campaign list of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing his inclusion as unauthorised, misleading and unacceptable.
In a statement dated Friday and signed by its Secretary, Very Rev. Fr. Wilfred Agubuchie, the diocese said Bishop Obodo was named Director of the party’s Faith-Based Campaign Group without his knowledge or consent. The names of some other Catholic priests were also said to have been included without approval.
The diocese said the listing gave a false impression of the bishop’s political leanings and damaged his standing. It added that Bishop Obodo had condemned it as a “malicious act of misrepresentation and defamation.”
“No individual or group should exploit the name, office or identity of the Church or its ministers” for partisan interests, the statement said. It stressed that the Catholic Church is politically neutral and does not endorse parties or take part in campaigns.
The diocese warned that any further unauthorised use of the bishop’s name, title, image or office for political purposes would attract legal action.
Bishop Obodo is also the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Enugu State. In a separate statement on Thursday, the Enugu CAN secretary, Innocent Offor, said the association did not authorise or endorse the inclusion of its leaders in the campaign council.
Mr Offor said linking church leaders to a political party could divide the church and weaken the impartiality expected of religious leaders. He urged the public to disregard any suggestion of endorsement and called for the list to be corrected.
The APC had yet to respond to the objections at the time of filing this report.
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