' The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja,
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, said
given the rules of the church, Rev.
Fr. Mbaka ought to be sanctioned
for his recent comments on
President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking to Thisday in an exclusive
interview, Cardinal Onaiyekan also
cautioned the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and the
opposition All Progressives Congress
(APC) , advising both political parties
to desist from campaigns of calumny. Popular Catholic priest and Founder
of Adoration Ministry, Enugu Catholic
Archdiocese, Rev. Fr Ejike Mbaka,
recently criticised President Goodluck
Jonathan’s administration urging
Nigerians to reject him in next year’s
presidential polls and vote for the
APC’s candidate, Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari (rtd ).
Onaiyekan said despite the
prophecies of doom ahead of the
2015 elections , “PDP and APC have
no right to disorganise Nigeria.”
He criticised Fr Mbaka, saying the
priest went overboard in his
statement insinuating that President
Jonathan’s administration has been
plagued with ‘bad luck’ and poor
performance.
The Kogi-born Cardinal distanced the
Catholic Church from Mbaka’s
statement, stating that, “Mbaka will
take responsibilities for his own
actions. I do not believe in my mind
that the way things are in Nigeria, any
Catholic priest has the mandate to
decide which of the political
contestants should be voted for.
What most of us will do is to tell
people to vote according to their
conscience and then, we tell the
authorities to allow people to vote
freely and fairly. Onaiyekan, recently, expressed fears
over alleged impending crises during
the general elections in February next
year. www.thisdaylive.com/articles/i-ll-sanction-mbaka-if-he-s-under-my-diocese-says-onaiyekan/198424/