Archbishop Kawas Alleges Banditry Sponsors Are Trying to Discredit Tinubu

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

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

The cleric also denied that the endorsement was influenced by financial considerations, insisting that the bishops had not received money from the President or his administration in exchange for their support.

“Today, this endorsement has not given us any one naira. No one naira has been given to us,” Kawas said, arguing that the decision was based on what the bishops believed was happening in the country.

He alleged that some people were deliberately sponsoring insecurity to make Tinubu’s government look ineffective and frustrate its efforts to govern.

“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,” he said.

Kawas compared the situation with the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, claiming that similar efforts were allegedly made at the time to portray the former president negatively.

According to him, the bishops believe Tinubu remains the candidate they should support despite concerns over insecurity and other challenges facing the country.

“If that is the case, then it is Tinubu that we are going to support,” the cleric said, adding that the bishops believed they were being led to make the decision.

Addressing concerns about whether political endorsements should be tied to financial benefits, Kawas said the bishops would support a candidate they considered suitable regardless of whether they received money.

He also cited the 2023 presidential election, recalling that Peter Obi’s reported decision not to give money to Nigerians did not stop the bishops from supporting him at the time.

“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.