The Catholic Diocese of Enugu has officially disowned the inclusion of its Auxiliary Bishop, Most Rev. Ernest Anezichukwu Obodo, alongside several other Catholic priests, in the Enugu State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council and its associated faith-based campaign wings, declaring that the cleric was listed without his knowledge, authorization, or consent.
In a formal press statement issued from the Diocesan Secretariat in Enugu, church authorities strongly condemned the publication of the campaign list as an unauthorised misrepresentation of the Church’s stance. The Secretariat clarified that neither Bishop Obodo nor the affected priests were consulted prior to the announcement, emphasizing that their names were co-opted into partisan political structures without their permission.
Reiterating the canonical laws and long-standing traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, the Diocese emphasized that while lay faithful possess the constitutional and civic liberty to engage in partisan politics, the hierarchy and ordained ministers of the Church must maintain strict neutrality to preserve political peace, moral integrity, and justice.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Catholic Church is not a political campaign organisation and must not be presented as one,” the statement read. “While individual Christians are free to exercise their civic and democratic rights, no individual or group should exploit the name, office, or identity of the Church or its ministers for partisan political interests.”
Addressing the fallout, the Diocese demanded that the leadership of the Enugu State APC Campaign Council immediately retract and strip the names of Most Rev. Obodo and all Catholic priests from every published campaign roster, literature, and digital media.
The Church further warned that any continued or future unauthorized use of the Bishop’s name, image, title, or ecclesiastical office for campaign purposes would compel the Diocese to seek appropriate legal redress in a court of law. Reinforcing the position of the Catholic Diocese, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State Chapter, also issued a concurring declaration through its State Secretary, Rev. Barr. Onuora Offor.
Speaking on behalf of the ecumenical body, Rev. Offor rejected the unauthorised listing of Christian leaders in political campaign apparatuses, warning that such actions risk creating unnecessary division among believers and eroding the public trust placed in religious institutions.
