The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has warned its member to steer clear of partisan politics even as it described the recent encounter between the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi, and Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministries in Enugu as shameful.
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In a statement issued on Thursday by the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Ralph Madu, the Bishops noted that priests getting involved in partisan politics contravened the Canon Law of the church.
According to the statement, the stand of the Catholic Church on August 7, 2018 that priests should remain apolitical and must not support or subscribe to any political party has not changed.
“Our concern is for a peaceful election process seen to be free, fair, credible and just. We are for a democratic governance that guarantees peace, justice, equity, development and religious freedom for the common good.
“Mindful of the present charged political life of the country, with the ongoing campaign of political parties gathering momentum, we deem it necessary to again remind all priests and faithful to keep the position of the church on the issue of non-partisan politics,” Fr. Madu said adding that while the Diocese of Enugu was handling the issue of the altercation, “no Catholic priest should be involved in partisan politics in obedience to the Canon Law of the church.”
