Church Backed Peter Obi in 2023 Against Tinubu, Says Cleric

* Explains Orji Kalu’s Abia North victory

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A Christian cleric, Reverend Chika Ubani, has shed fresh light on why Senator Orji Uzor Kalu recorded a resounding victory in the 2023 Abia North senatorial election but could not deliver the zone for President Bola Tinubu in the presidential poll, attributing the outcome largely to the collective position of Christian leaders in the South-east.

Ubani offered the explanation during a Sunday sermon while reacting to comments credited to Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, who reportedly questioned how Kalu could win convincingly while the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate lost in the same constituency.

According to the cleric, the presidential election in Abia State and across the South-east was shaped decisively by the stance of the church, which rallied its followers to support the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr Peter Obi.

“The church worked for Peter Obi in 2023,” Ubani said, stressing that Christian leaders across denominations agreed to mobilise votes for Obi, leading to his strong showing in Abia and other South-east states.

He explained that the unified religious position made it practically impossible for any political leader in the zone, including Kalu, to influence votes in favour of the APC presidential candidate.

“Even in Abia, bishops and senior clerics openly asked their members to vote for Peter Obi during sermons. Many of us endorsed him publicly,” Ubani said, adding that the church’s opposition was rooted in its rejection of the APC’s Muslim–Muslim presidential ticket.

Ubani said the 2023 polls were characterised by widespread split voting, with voters deliberately separating their presidential choices from legislative contests.

“Most clerics advised their members to vote Peter Obi for president, Orji Uzor Kalu for Senate, and then vote according to conscience for other positions. That was exactly what played out,” he noted.

On Kalu’s political strength, the cleric maintained that the former Abia governor remains a dominant grassroots force across the state, a factor he said accounted for his overwhelming senatorial victory.

“OUK is still very strong across Abia. His influence should not be underestimated,” Ubani said, dismissing suggestions that the Labour Party could mobilise support for President Tinubu in the South-east.

He also argued that the APC in Abia State has become more united since the elections, citing growing cooperation among key political figures in the state.

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