Kalu Says He’ll Leave APC if Tinubu Disrespects Catholic Bishops

Former Abia State Governor and Senator for Abia North, Orji Kalu, said on Wednesday that he will leave the All Progressives Congress if President Bola Tinubu ever disrespects the Catholic bishops or the opposition.

Kalu, who was once the Chief Whip of the Senate, made this statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He dismissed claims that the President insulted the Catholic Church amidst recent disagreements with Catholic leaders about Nigeria's situation.

The senator claimed that Tinubu has a good relationship with the Catholic Church. He called the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria the conscience of the nation and said their views should not be seen as attacks on the government.

He said, “Tinubu did not insult the Catholic Church. This is not the first time the Catholic Church has gone to President Tinubu. In every country, from DRC, Angola to South Africa, and anywhere, the Catholic and other churches are always the conscience of the country.

“I do not see anything wrong in what the Catholic bishops said. Since the military rule, the Catholic Bishops Conference holds its conference every year, where they talk and issue a statement about the state of the nation.

“For me, Tinubu is not an enemy to the Catholic bishops. The President has a very good relationship with the Catholic Church. Anytime they ask for an audience, he has given it to them because any president dodging Catholic bishops is dodging himself. What politicians cannot tell the president, the Catholic bishops will say it.

“It is not true. If you hear him well, he said we will have a fair contest, and he will not touch anybody. Any day President Tinubu disrespects the opposition or Catholic bishops, I will resign from the APC.”

This issue began after Cardinal John Onaiyekan spoke about a meeting with President Tinubu. He said he told the President about Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship and insecurity. After the Cardinal’s comments, presidential aides publicly disputed parts of his statement, which angered some in the Christian community. They felt the aides were disrespectful to both the Cardinal and the Catholic Church.

Kalu also talked about the 2027 general election. He believes Tinubu will win a second term. He said the government’s achievements are not well known to Nigerians, despite the ongoing economic challenges.

He noted that the APC has struggled to showcase the government’s successes in areas like infrastructure, security, and economic reforms. He added, “A lot has been done by this government. We simply have not marketed those achievements well.”

When assessing the administration’s performance, Kalu stated that the President has met about 65 percent of his targets. He forecasted that this rating would improve in the next few months.

“On a scale of 100, President Tinubu has done about 65 percent. By September or October, that performance will be close to 70 percent,” he said.

He also suggested that the opposition is too divided to be a real threat to the APC.