Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has noted that Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of Adoration Ministries, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN), remains his father in faith despite publicly calling him a stingy man.
Gatekeepers News reports that Mbaka had declared that Obi is a stingy man and can never be Nigeria’s President. He also urged his followers not to vote for a “stingy man”, saying it was better to have an old man as President than a ‘stingy young man’.
“A stingy man, that cannot give people his money, 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 stressed: “I did not say he is a bad man; I said he is a stingy man. A hungry man wants someone that is generous; the man has so much money, but he is ‘I, me, myself’. But that money will not be useful to him.”
In his reaction, Obi said “whatever he (Mbaka) says, I take, because he is my father, he is my father in faith and I respect him any day.
The former Anambra Governor spoke during an interview with Voice of the People 90.3FM on Sunday.
“For me, Father Mbaka is an ordained priest of God and as a priest, he remains my priest and I will always respect and show my allegiance to the church,” Obi said.
“And whatever he says, I take, because he is my father, he is my father in faith and I respect him any day. He is my brother. We are very close; that’s my own. And whenever he says something wrong, I pray over it. If he says something right, I pray over it. So, mine is prayers and whatever he does, I love him. This is me because he is a priest of God.
“I don’t have any problem with him. Whatever he says, I put it in prayers. If he says I’m not going to be voted because I don’t have money, my prayer is may God make these people who are collecting money to vote to see reasons why they should not do so. That’s prayers.
“In fact, I had travelled when he said that. If I was there, I would have told him ‘since you’ve seen this, pray for me to overcome it’. That’s what I tell to every pastor. I meet pastors everyday who tell me ‘Peter, this is what is going to happen’. And I tell them ‘since you’ve seen it, let’s pray that it doesn’t happen’.”
Gatekeepers News reports that Mbaka’s comment was condemned by many from different quarters and the Catholic Diocese of Enugu also dissociated itself, saying Mbaka’s views on the matter are “entirely personal to him and do not represent the position of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu”.
Bishop of Enugu Catholic Diocese, Most. Rev. Callistus Onaga also banned all priests and Catholic faithful from attending Mbaka’s Adoration Ministry over the priest’s comment.
Mbaka later apologised to Obi saying his intention was not to malign Obi’s image but to pray for him.
“In any way, the supporters of Mr. Peter Obi feel offended by my utterances or however I was misunderstood by them, I ask for their understanding and forgiveness.
“My intention is not to fight or malign Mr. Peter Obi. He is my friend and remains my friend and brother I love him and I wish him success. May God bless him and his good supporters. God’s will be done in his political endeavours.
“The followers of Peter Obi are the same youths I am praying for, sacrificing for, fighting for, speaking for, and working for their integral well-being.
“What the youths are passing through and their conditions give me sleepless nights. It is for this reason that I yearn for good governance and worthy leaders that will take care of them.
“We are passing through indescribable, unbearable, and undeserved hardship in this country. I pray for Divine intervention.
“I am not in any political party but I support good people and good governance. Any good person that God can give us is my choice candidate.
”I am a servant of God; For the sake of peace, I ask for forgiveness in any way I am misunderstood. And to Peter Obi himself, I ask God to bless him and manifest his will in his life. When God says yes, who can say no? And when God says no, who can say yes?”
