Senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu, says he will resign from the ruling All Progressives Congress if President Bola Tinubu disrespects the Catholic Church.
Kalu stated this while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, amid controversy over the recent meeting between President Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.
The leadership of the CBCN, led by Matthew Ndagoso, had last week met with the President at the State House in Abuja, where the bishops expressed concerns over the economic hardship and insecurity confronting Nigerians.
But the meeting later generated controversy after cardinal and former archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, said the President was unhappy with the message delivered by the bishops.
Special adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Daniel Bwala, also accused the Catholic Church of supporting the opposition.
Kalu in his reaction to the controversy, backed the bishops’ decision to speak on the state of the nation, saying religious leaders have a responsibility to raise concerns affecting Nigerians.
“The Catholic bishops were right. If they had said anything less than what they said, they would no longer be the conscience of this country,” Kalu said.
But the former Abia State governor rejected claims that Tinubu had disrespected the Catholic Church, saying statements made by presidential aides should not automatically be regarded as the President’s position.
“The villa is not President Tinubu. I was a governor and I understand how communication works. President Tinubu has a very good relationship with the Catholic Church,” he said.
Kalu said Catholic bishops have a history of speaking frankly to those in power, irrespective of the government in office.
“What politicians cannot tell the president, the Catholic bishops will tell him because they have no political interests to protect,” he added.
On calls for the Presidency to apologise to the Catholic Church over the controversy, the Senator said he did not believe Tinubu had personally done anything that required an apology.
But he said he would leave the ruling party if the President ever disrespected the church.
“Any day President Tinubu disrespects the opposition, or the Catholic church, I will resign from the APC,” Kalu said.
On the economy, Kalu defended the reforms of the Tinubu administration, saying the Federal Government had made progress in stabilising the macroeconomic environment.
“The macro side of the economy has been stabilised. The exchange rate is stabilising, fuel prices are stabilising, foreign direct investments are coming in and confidence is gradually returning,” he said.
The Senator, however, admitted that the impact of the reforms had yet to be sufficiently felt by ordinary Nigerians, particularly at the microeconomic level.
“As a businessman, I manufacture goods, and I know the microeconomy is not doing well. President Tinubu himself knows Nigerians are suffering,” he said.
Kalu linked the challenges facing the microeconomy largely to insecurity, arguing that an improvement in the security situation would allow farmers to return to their farms and help reduce food inflation.
