The Spiritual Director, Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, on Friday, tendered a public apology to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, and his supporters over his utterances against his person.
The Catholic Diocese of Enugu State had, shortly after his comment on Wednesday during his midweek activities, declared that Obi would not become Nigeria’s President, for the reason that he is ‘stingy’, and disowned him.
The church, while describing his political utterances as divisive and unbecoming of a priest, said that the attack breached canon 220 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which prohibits anyone from illegitimately harming the good name of a person.
Meanwhile, REPORTERS AT LARGE had earlier reported that the Catholic Church has disowned Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka over statements he made against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Wednesday.
However, Mbaka on Friday tendered an unreserved public apology to Obi and his supporters in a letter he personally signed.
In the apology letter titled, ‘Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka Blesses His Excellency Peter Obi and His Supporters’, the controversial Catholic priest asked for understanding and forgiveness.
Mbaka, in the letter, prayed for the former governor of Anambra State, that God will grant him his heart’s desires and those of other presidential candidates.
He decried the increasing insecurity in Nigeria, which he attributed to bad leadership, and appealed to Nigerian youths to also pray that God, in his mercy, will give Nigeria a man after his heart as the next president.
The apology letter read in part, “I am a servant of God, and my intention is not to malign His Excellency Peter Obi’s image but to pray for him. May God’s will be done in his life. I pray to God, whom I serve, to give our beloved people good and excellent leaders who will take care of them and lead them to the promised land. Anyone whom God wishes to make our leader is my choice.
“In this vein, I give my blessings to His Excellency Peter Obi and his supporters. I also give my blessings to the other candidates and their supporters, whose intention is also to give Nigeria good leaders. In any way, the supporters of Mr Peter Obi feel offended by my utterances or how I was misunderstood by them, I ask for their understanding and forgiveness. As a servant of the Most High God, I pray that it shall be well with my people. I am an ardent supporter of good governance, justice, equity, love, and godliness.
It added, “My intention is not to fight or malign Mr Peter Obi. He is my friend and has remained 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 (Mk. 14:36).
“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 who 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 of 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? I bless Peter Obi and pray for him. I bless my dear fellow Adorers and pray for them. I bless the people of God everywhere, and I pray that it shall be well with you all.”
