The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has accused the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, of whipping up sentiments through the church.
Obi, who is fast gaining popularity, especially on social media, has made several visits to churches, where he was warmly received.
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In an interview with Daily Trust and select media outlets in Kano, Okowa said the church should not be dragged into politics.
Responding to a question on the allegation by some that his emergence as vice presidential candidate of the PDP was a betrayal to the south especially with Obi’s increasing popularity in the zone, Okowa said it was unfortunate that people hang on to anything even to the detriment of their fate.
“Now you begin to look at what is going on; the Peter Obi factor is as if he is trying to go through the church and make it look as if he is driving the Christians into politics. I do not believe that the church should actively go into politics because that is not their calling.
“But people are just hanging to anything they can reach out to even to the detriment of their fate. I don’t believe that’s the right part to go,” he said.
The Delta state governor made the remark on the sideline of his visit to the state along with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to receive former Kano state governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau into the party and also engage with other party and other stakeholders.
The full interview with Okowa will be published in tomorrow’s edition of Daily Trust Newspaper
