From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Contrary to a report that the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, was booed at the Assumpta Catholic Church in Owerri, Imo State by some protesters, the Archdiocese, yesterday clarified that the former governor of Anambra State was never at the church neither was the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El-Rufai, who was also said to have been present for the Church’s event.
The Archdiocesan Chancellor and Secretary of the Church, Rev Fr Patrick Mbarah, in a statement, described the report as total falsehood and urged the state government to equally unravel sponsors of the thugs that besieged the back gate of the church and chanted anti-Obi songs.
Mbarah explained that the archdiocese had its annual Odenigbo lecture, which Obi has always attended, but emphasised that he never attended the event on Saturday contrary to the report by the media.
He said: “The Odenigbo lecture which is rendered entirely in Igbo language is the highpoint of archdiocesan day celebration, only one guest lecturer of an Igbo extraction chosen the previous years gives the lecture. This year’s lecture was delivered on Saturday, September 6, by Rev Evangeline Oparaocha of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
“The last edition was no exception to the rule . Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was not invited by the archdiocese to deliver any lecture or speech at the event. Much as the lecturers are from the Igbo stock, the audience, however, is not limited to Ndigbo. Persons from every race, creed and political learning, are welcome to the event,” Mbarah explained.
On the invasion of the back gate of the church by thugs chanting anti Obi song, Mbarah simply described them as hired thugs, urging the state government to unravel those behind it.
“Midway into the event of last Saturday, a group of hired placard-carrying thugs, comprising youths and women stormed the Maria Assumpta Cathedral’s back gate, chanting all manners of unprintable things against Peter Obi and Mallam El-Rufai.
“While Obi has been a regular guest at the archdiocesan Odenigbo lecture, he, however, was not able to grace this year’s event. Mallam Nasir el-Rufai did not deliver any talk or press conference within the premises of the Villa Assumpta. It could be most misleading for any group or medium to publish or broadcast such falsehood,” the Chancellor stated.