A former chairman of Okigwe local government area of Imo State, Pastor Frank Onwumere, has denied knowledge and involvement in a viral petition addressed to the national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) against an alleged N2billion provided by the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The viral petition which was printed on the letterhead paper of Dominion Centre International located at Plot 35 Okigwe Road Owerri and allegedly signed by Frank Onwumere as Senior Pastor where he allegedly complained that the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi had delivered N2billion to church leaders to canvass support during the elections.
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In a swift response, Onwumere denied knowledge of the petition even as he maintained that he did not author or authorised anyone to pen the petition on his behalf.
Onwumere said “I wish to use this medium to inform the public, my associates, friends and family, that I, Hon. Pastor Frank Alozie Onwumere, did not author the said petition, and did not authorize anybody to do so on my behalf.
“Please be informed that:I am not a member of Dominion Center International and have never had any relationship with the organisation. The author of the petition is not known to me”.
Findings showed that the supposed Church address is fake as it does not exist.
Onwumere stated that it was not in his character to “malign any person or institution, let alone revered religious bodies”.
Spokesperson for the Peter Obi support group in Imo, Onwuansanya FCC Jones said “The APC and PDP are rattled by Peter Obi’s surge in the presidential contest. They have told themselves the truth that Peter Obi is the man to beat and they are now resorting to very dirty blackmail in an attempt to whittle down his popularity in key voting demographics.
“The letter is to demonise Obi and portray him as a moneybag who is buying up the huge support he is enjoying across the country.
“The thinking of the authors of this letter is that when the letter goes public that it would plant discord in the Nigerian Christendom and drive an outrage against Peter Obi and the leadership of the church, but they are failing woefully. Nigerians have gone beyond such sentiments. They are embracing Peter Obi, not because he is a Christian or because their Pastor instructed them to do so, but because they have been starved, deprived, frustrated, terrorised and dehumanised by the behemoth of PDAPC”, the statement read.
It will be recalled that the Christian Association of Nigeria has earlier issued a statement to dismissed a claim on a N2 billion gift to churches by the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
In a statement signed by its president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN described the petition as malicious and urged Nigerians to ignore it.
The Christian body, however, promised to look into the letter in the interest of the general public.
Okoh said: “The attention of the national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria has been drawn to a purported letter currently in circulation on social media, alleging that a certain sum of N2bn was given by the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, to Churches under the umbrella of CAN.
“I use this medium to categorically state that the so-called letter of petition reportedly signed by one Pastor Frank Onwumere and addressed to my office is illogical and can best be described as a failed attempt to drag the apex Christian body into the politics of 2023.
“However, we will investigate the source of the letter in the interest of the public.
“To set the records straight, I am not aware of any N2bn given to Churches in Nigeria to mobilise votes for any 2023 presidential candidate and never received the said petition dated December 22, 2022.
“Nigerians should note that CAN, as a faith-based entity, maintains its non-partisan stance and will not endorse or mobilise support for any candidate in the upcoming elections as against the social media post being circulated by some elements bent on soiling its name and image
“CAN, therefore, urges members of the public to disregard the purported letter of the petition as its content is not only untrue but malicious.
“We warn those peddling the falsehood to desist from such acts because they are capable of defaming innocent people and revered religious institutions as well as breaching public peace.”