‘I wasn’t called fake when I supported Obi, Jonathan’ — Charismatic bishop replies critics over Tinubu endorsement
Leonard Kawas, president-general of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), has defended his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, saying his involvement in Nigerian politics predates the current administration.
Kawas’ defence comes amid criticism of the group’s endorsement of Tinubu, with some Nigerians questioning his credentials as a bishop.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Saturday, Kawas said he had spent 25 years in the clergy and supported political leaders in the past, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, without being labelled a fake bishop.
“I travelled around this country with Doyin Okupe. I travelled around this country at 2 am with John Dara and others. We were campaigning from church to church, and nobody called me a fake bishop,” he said.
“I campaigned for my leader, reverend Jolly Nyame, and he became governor of my state, Taraba state. He appointed me chairman of the Christian Welfare Board, and nobody called me fake then.
“I supported Peter Obi at the initial stage of his presidential ambition. I went with him everywhere in Nigeria. And he never gave me one dollar, one naira.
“Neither did he even ever ask me one day how I came to the campaign. He will just see me at the campaign, and we will pray for him. I paid for the transportation of six clergymen. And nobody called me fake. We were on television everywhere.”
Kawas said he supported Jonathan since his time as deputy governor of Bayelsa state and later joined in his presidential campaign.
“I was one of the people who prophesied that we would see him in Abuja. And he came to Abuja, and he became vice-president and then president from the doctrine of necessity,” Kawas said.
“And then he won the election. I was on his presidential campaign council. I was the only bishop in Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign council, and I took the campaign everywhere. Nobody called me fake.
“Is it now, because I have prayed and God has led me to support Bola Tinubu, that I suddenly become fake? he asked.
culled from The Cable
