Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has declared that he would resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC) if President Bola Tinubu ever disrespects the Catholic Church or the opposition, insisting that the President has shown no such conduct.
The senator representing Abia North made the remarks during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television while addressing the controversy surrounding President Tinubu’s recent meeting with Catholic bishops and comments made afterward by Cardinal John Onaiyekan.
Defending the President, Kalu dismissed claims that Tinubu insulted members of the Catholic Church, maintaining that there was no basis for any apology from the Presidency. According to him, Tinubu has always maintained a cordial relationship with the Catholic Church and would never deliberately offend its leaders.
“Any day President Tinubu has disrespect for the opposition, or has disrespect for the Catholic Church, I’d resign from the APC,” Kalu said, adding that if the Presidency were ever found to have acted wrongly, an apology would be appropriate.
Speaking further, the former Abia State governor described Tinubu as one of the Catholic Church’s longstanding friends, noting that there was nothing unusual about bishops expressing concerns directly to the President. He also argued that remarks made by Cardinal Onaiyekan after the meeting should not automatically be interpreted as the official position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
Kalu explained that the engagement between the bishops and the President was held publicly, with media coverage, and stressed that individual cardinals and archbishops are entitled to express personal opinions. He noted that the official communiqué from the meeting was delivered by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, suggesting that this should be regarded as the conference’s formal position.
The controversy followed comments by Cardinal Onaiyekan, who told journalists that Catholic bishops informed President Tinubu during the meeting that Nigeria was “bleeding,” citing the economic hardship facing many citizens.
According to the cardinal, the President responded by saying he disagreed with the bishops’ assessment of the country’s economic situation. Kalu, however, maintained that the exchange reflected a difference of opinion rather than any act of disrespect toward the Catholic Church, reiterating his confidence in the President’s relationship with the religious body.
