Backlash Trails Governor Okowa’s Comment Against Peter Obi’s Visit To Churches

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, September 1st, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has come under severe criticism on social media after he tasked Peter Obi, Labour Party presidential candidate to desist from dragging the church into politics.

Okowa, who spoke with reporters in Kano State on Wednesday, said he does not believe in dragging the church into partisan politics, stressing that politics is not the calling of the church.

He lamented that out of desperation, some presidential candidates are currently reaching out to anything even to the detriment of their faith just to win the February 2022 election.

“Now you begin to look at what is going on; the Peter Obi factor is as if he is trying to go through the church and make it look as if he is driving the Christians into politics. I do not believe that the church should actively go into politics because that is not their calling.

“But people are just hanging to anything they can reach out to even to the detriment of their fate. I don’t believe that’s the right part to go,” he said.

This development has sparked social media reactions as some netizens took to their Twitter accounts to berate Governor Okowa. Here is how some netizens reacted:

@AishaYesufu writes: “Governor Okowa went to Kano to set Peter Obi up with the talk of church visits. These people are not tired of opposition. A very underhand move.”

@novieverest writes: “Okowa is crying over Peter Obi going to pray in Churches. Okowa’s boss Atiku goes to mosques, and Tinubu struggles to sit in Mosques, but Peter Obi is the only headache that Okowa has. He is a Christian, let him visit Churches too. Wike will deal with him sha, no need for us to.”

@Naija_Activist writes: “Okowa telling Peter Obi that going to churches is not the right path but yet he couldn’t talk to people who rented bishop… Everyone is just afraid and jealous of the love Obi is receiving.”

@Paul_bem writes: “Which one is sentiments through the church? Okowa should go and get his own sentiments from church too nau.”

@BarrTailorson writes: “Has Okowa, the chronic betrayal paid those struggling pensioners in Delta before attempting without even conscience to school us about Peter Obi campaign strategy? Why can’t you focus on your job, sir? Let us know what you have done for Deltans… Baseless sentiments won’t help”

@DanielRegha writes: “Every presidential candidate is using their tribe & religion to campaign, not just Peter Obi, so Okowa criticizing Peter Obi makes no sense; His own presidential flagbearer (Atiku) deleted his tweets condemning Deborah’s killers cos he’s trying to win the support of Muslims.”

@elonchorch writes: “Whether this country burns down with agitation, it doesn’t concern Atiku so far it favours his presidential ambition. Okowa on the other hand hosted the southern governors in Asaba, proposed that power should come to the south only for him to betray the meeting.”