‘Some priests no better than alter boys’, Adesina accuses religious leaders of ‘causing bad blood’ in Nigeria

Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Sunday, accused religious leaders of contributing to the challenges confronting the country.

Adesina’s accusation followed a statement credited to Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese in his recent interview on Arise TV.

Kukah had identified the negative role of some religious leaders in 2015 general elections and its implications for Nigeria.

Kukah was quoted thus: “The passion that drove people in 2015, those passions have been dissipated because people realised that they were lied to. We have videos of many Northern clerics who confessed tearfully that they deceived their people by saying that these elections in 2015 were a jihad, whatever that meant. Now, we’re seeing the consequences of religious manipulations.

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“Those who used ethnicity have now paid the price. Beyond the thousands of people who have lost their lives, one positive thing from what we have experienced in the last eight years is that anybody with a sense of discernment will appreciate the fact that voting for any candidate because he tells you he’s going to establish an Islamic state or he’s going to establish a Christian state or privilege Christians, that should be your first sign of realising that this the worst fraud any politician can sell to you.”

Adeshina, who reacted to the development via his verified Twitter handle, said religious leaders were not to be exonorated from the problems ravaging the country.

He added that they were fanning the embers of hatred in lieu of using their positions to make the country peaceful.

The tweet read: “People have understood they were lied to in 2015.” With the way some priests speak, they seem not better than altar boys. We may agree with OBJ, and start ordaining our own priests soon. Some of the ones we have are causing bad blood in the country. Un-Christlike.”

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