The African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday accused President Bola Tinubu and his media team of insulting the
Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic Church.
Amaechi was reacting to Onaiyekan’s latest comment about the meeting between President Tinubu and the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria.
Onaiyekan’s comment after the meeting had ignited a widespread condemnation from the president.
However, appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Amaechi faulted the presidency’s comments, stressing that Onaiyekan was equivalent to a governor of a state, hence should be accord such respect.
He said: “I believe in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, so when a group of people insult my faith then I must get up to defend it.
“When you look at the bishops of a Catholic Church and insult them, most bishops are equivalent to a governor of a state and I would tell you why
“The bishop of the Catholic Church I Port Harcourt diocese covers the entire Rivers State, what does the governor of Rivers State cover, the same thing, he covers the entire Rivers State.
“Like the bishop of Sokoto, he covers the entire Sokoto State, now you look at him and insult him because he came to see the president.
“Look at the president’s statement, the president of a country tells the country that all is fair in politics, so if a thug takes a gun and shoots me where I’m voting it’s fair?
“Every public meeting with the president is public, the moment you bring in cameras, it’s no longer private. I was once in the presidency, if the president wants a private meeting with you there will be no cameras, nobody will record you and there will be no other person just you and the president.
“The issue is that what the president and his men are doing is that they are insulting my faith, they are insulting the Catholic church, listen to Bwala, you are insulting a Cardinal, a Cardinal is somebody who could have been a Pope or somebody who had voted for Popes.”
Cardinal Onaiyekan: You insulted bishops, Catholic church – Amaechi tackles Tinubu, Presidency