Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North Senatorial District, has declared that he would resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC) if President Bola Tinubu ever disrespects the opposition or the Catholic Church.
The former Abia State governor made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended President Tinubu against allegations that he had insulted Catholic bishops.
According to Kalu, there was nothing in the President’s comments that warranted an apology.
“The day President Tinubu disrespects the opposition or the Catholic Church, I will leave the APC. From my understanding, the President knows better than to insult Catholic bishops. I don’t believe there is anything he said that requires an apology,” he said.
The senator, however, maintained that if the Presidency ever made a genuine mistake, it should not hesitate to apologise.
Kalu also described Tinubu’s relationship with the Catholic Church as cordial, insisting that the President has consistently maintained respect for the church and its leaders.
“President Tinubu has a very good relationship with the Catholic Church. I did not see anything insulting in what was said. Rather, he remains one of the Church’s strongest allies,” he added.
Commenting on recent remarks by Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Kalu argued that the cleric’s views should not automatically be regarded as the official position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
He explained that while individual bishops, cardinals and archbishops are entitled to their opinions, the official position of the Catholic Church is usually communicated through the leadership of the bishops’ conference.
According to him, Cardinal Onaiyekan attended the meeting with the President in his individual capacity and was free to express his personal views.
The controversy followed comments made by Onaiyekan after a meeting between President Tinubu and Catholic leaders at the Presidential Villa, during which the cleric said Nigeria was facing serious economic hardship and urged the government to address citizens’ suffering.
His remarks sparked political debate after Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused the cardinal of taking a partisan position against the Tinubu administration.
However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi defended Onaiyekan, arguing that the cleric merely highlighted the country’s pressing economic and security challenges.
During the meeting with Catholic leaders, President Tinubu rejected claims that his administration was intimidating political opponents, insisting that he remained committed to democratic principles and was prepared to face any political challenge through the ballot box.
