The Patriotic Front of Nigeria, a civil society group, has petitioned Catholic Priests in Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province over alleged involvement in the 2023 Presidential and State House of Assembly elections in Anambra.
The group based in Awka accused the Catholic priests of canvassing for their favourite candidates to their congregation.
In a letter addressed to The Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, the group named some Catholic Priests involved in the melee for political power thus deviating from primary responsibility of preaching the gospel.
According to the letter signed by the Anambra State Chapter Coordinator of the group ,Chris Obi Okpala on Tuesday, the actions of the orthodox church pastors has implanted infighting between Gov. Chukwuma Soludo and Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
“The priests of the Roman Catholic Church transformed from custodians of the faith and salvation of souls to full blown politicians, taking partisan postures and campaigning for politicians without restraint,’’ he said.
While urging the Prelate of the Catholic Church to investigate the priests involved, he queried why Anambra remained challenged with infrastructure, unemployment, insecurity and brigandage despite the influence of Catholic church in the political leadership of the state.
The petition reads in parts “It has become necessary to draw your attention to the inappropriate role the members of the clergy within the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province are playing especially during electioneering periods as witnessed in the general elections.
“It is an open secret, so to say, that during electioneering periods, priests and a few highly connected lay faithful align with political money bags to undo others who may not have met other financial demands.
“Under other circumstances, the pulpits are used to cajole the faithful and congregants on who to vote for thus describing their favoured candidates as “competent and God sent”.
“This dangerous and acrimonious religious politics is taking root in Onitsha Province and has its foundations in Onitsha Archdiocese and Awka diocese.
“This is so because the local ordinaries (Bishops) are huge financial beneficiaries of corrupt politicians.
“There has been widespread belief that the Roman Catholic Church in Anambra state dictated past and present political leaderships in Anambra state for which other denominations complained bitterly.
“One of the recent disgraceful episodes is where one Rev Fr Cajetan Obiekezie of the Catholic diocese of Awka,made a viral video insulting the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Mr Chukwuma Soludo, calling him names and also urged citizens not to vote for his party,the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
“One other priest of the Adoration Ministry Uke,Anambra state was known to have also insulted the governor over trivial matters which did not concern or affect the church.
“There is one of the priests resident at St Lwanga Catholic Church in Okpoko,Ogbaru local government,Rev Fr Livinus Nnaemelu who takes pride in boasting as an official of the Obedient Movement in Anambra state thereby seeing nothing good in other political parties.
“With so much money realised from politicians, morality has been thrown to the dogs; priests swim in opulence, moral bankruptcy and impropriety,’’ he said.
Okpala further accused Obi of using the church to disparage Soludo and tribal disaffection under the guise of doing service to the state and country.
Okpala also accused Obi of abusing power when he was governor of Anambra.
According to him, he demolished houses of citizens, failed to conduct local government elections, deprived workers of their entitlements among others.
He expressed concern that if nothing was done by the Vatican through the intervention of Filipazzi to call the priests to order the situation may escalate and spin out of control to the detriment of the revered prestige of the church.