Some people sponsor terrorism to blackmail Tinubu — Bishop Kawas

The President-General of the Charismatic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Leonard Bature Kawas, has alleged that some people are sponsoring terrorism, banditry and kidnapping to blackmail President Bola Tinubu and frustrate his administration.

Kawas made the allegation while defending the bishops’ recent endorsement of Tinubu for a second term during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday.

The cleric said the endorsement was not influenced by money, stressing that the bishops did not receive any payment for supporting the President.

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“Today, this endorsement has not given us any one naira. No one naira has been given to us. We did it because, based on current happenings in our nation, the sabotage of people sponsoring banditry and sponsoring kidnapping and all these things just to give Tinubu a bad name,” he said.

Kawas said the bishops believed that the insecurity in the country was being used by some individuals to make Tinubu’s government look bad.

“That is why we decided that since it is a proven fact and there are international intelligence on this that some people are sponsoring all this banditry and terrorism just to give Tinubu a bad name to frustrate his government and to blackmail him and blacklist him,” Kawas said.

He compared the situation with what he described as similar efforts during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying there were attempts at the time to portray the former President negatively.

According to Kawas, the bishops therefore decided to support Tinubu because they believed he remained the candidate they should back.

“That is why we say no. If that is the case, then it is Tinubu that we are going to support. So we are. We believe that we are being led to do so,” he added.

Kawas also dismissed the suggestion that political endorsements by religious leaders should be based on financial benefits.

He said the bishops would support a candidate they believed was right, whether or not they received money in return.

“If we participate in politics, and any blessing comes from it, fine and good. But where the blessing does not come financially, it also doesn’t matter so long as we are convinced that that is the right candidate,” he said.

The cleric also recalled the 2023 presidential election, when the bishops supported Peter Obi, saying Obi’s decision not to give money to Nigerians did not affect their support for him.

“So, that is what happened as at the time when Peter Obi did not give any money to any Nigerian, he said he would give shishi, and that did not stop us,” Kawas said.