Peter Obi restrains supporters from attacking Fr Mbaka over unfavourable 2019 prediction

Former governor of Anambra State, now vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Peter Obi, has called on his supporters not to attack Father Ejike Mbaka over prophesies that the Atiku election project would fail.

Obi, who spoke through his media aide, Val Obienyem, rather called on his supporters to pray for Mbaka as that was what was expected of them.

Reverend Father Mbaka had on Sunday at his adoration ground, Enugu, warned that the Atiku campaign project may fail if he failed to come to Enugu to confer with him.

In a video of the programme, which is widely circulating on the internet, Mbaka was seen urging Obi to make donation to the church, while warning him that God hates stingy people.

Obi, had while speaking at the bazaar and thanksgiving ceremony, promised to confer privately with the priest on what he would donate, but Mbaka insisted that it was deceit for Obi to come to his church and fail to part with any money.

Speaking in Igbo, the priest kept urging the vice presidential candidate, if his principal, Atiku Abubakar did not give him anything to bring to the church.

Supporters of Peter Obi had been infuriated by the priest’s comments, leading to torrent of attacks on him on social media.

But Obienyem, while speaking for Obi, said, “I have personally reached out to many people restraining them from attacking Fr. Ejike Mbaka because of their love for Peter Obi.

“If you truly respect Obi, please and please, do not attack Fr. Mbaka. In the first instance, His Excellency does not interpret the comments of Fr. Mbaka the way several observers do. While one may disagree with him, we should always acknowledge that he speaks and acts from the higher perspective of wisdom.

“His Excellency believes that every situation, however unpleasant, has positive lessons for us. Please let us leave Fr. Mbaka alone, our duty to him is prayers for God to lead him aright.”

Obi regretted that the spat at the adoration ground in Enugu cost his younger brother, who is also a Catholic priest, some engagements both in Onitsha and Lagos, the same day.

Father Obi, who joined his elder brother to Enugu for the service, was billed to return to Lagos but because of the delay as a result of arguments between Mbaka and Obi over donations, he missed his flight billed for 3pm from Asaba and had to join a 5:30pm flight from Enugu.