Human rights activist and counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has described the outburst of Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyesom Wike, inside St. James’s Anglican Church, Asokoro, as a national embarrassment in the house of worship.
During his visit to the church, Wike stated that the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate could not be President, and the Nigerian economy was already in ruins before President Bola Tinubu took over.
However, in a statement issued on Monday titled ‘Nyesom Wike’s unholy outburst and the profanation of God’s altar a national embarrassment in the house of worship,’ Ejiofor stated that he was shocked by the Minister’s outburst.
He insisted that Wike’s statement was nothing more than mere political grandstanding, reckless vituperation and desecration of God’s Sanctuary.
The human rights activist stated that he was informed that during Wike’s outburst, the church had signalled him to redirect or conclude his speech, but the minister did not heed the warning and continued with his speech.
According to Ejiofor, “Sadly, this latest descent into ignominy did not occur in the familiar theatres of partisan politics or the chaotic arenas of political rallies; it unfolded within the hallowed walls of St. James Anglican Church, Asokoro, an altar sanctified for worship, reflection, and the celebration of God’s grace.
“It is both regrettable and wholly unacceptable that the customary opportunity graciously extended to worshippers for sharing testimonies was shamelessly hijacked by Wike and transformed into a platform for political grandstanding, reckless vituperation, and the desecration of God’s sanctuary.
“For the avoidance of doubt, and to counter the erroneous narrative suggesting that the Church was complicit in this sacrilegious episode. I wish to offer some clarity. As a proud Knight of St. Christopher in the Anglican Communion, I am well acquainted with the traditions and reverent decorum expected during such sacred assemblies.
“It is not the practice, nor is it the character, of the Vicar, clergy, or Church stewards to forcibly retrieve a microphone from a speaker mid-address. That said, I am reliably informed that, in keeping with Anglican protocol, subtle and repeated signals were discreetly passed to Wike at the height of his appalling outburst, urging him to either redirect his speech or swiftly conclude his so-called “testimony” , which was the only context in which he had been permitted to address the congregation.
“Yet, in an astounding act of defiance and irreverence, Wike, a high-ranking member of the Anglican Communion, ignored every signal of restraint and plunged even further into disgraceful tirades, right within God’s temple. One is left to wonder: What right-thinking individual, let alone one entrusted with public office and honoured with ecclesiastical titles, would stoop to such debasement, and worse, within the sacred precincts of the altar?
“While the Church cannot be held responsible for his verbal recklessness, it is impossible to ignore the deep embarrassment his actions have caused the faithful and the nation at large. That someone of his stature would use the pulpit for personal tirades reflects a total collapse of decorum and spiritual sensitivity”.
“As I have repeatedly emphasised, the time has come for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Wike to order, or, better still, subject him to a comprehensive psychological evaluation to determine his fitness for public office and his grasp of basic behavioural decency. The nation must not continue to tolerate this disruptive pattern, camouflaged as boldness, especially when it desecrates our sacred spaces and undermines our shared values.
“The house of God must remain holy. No individual, regardless of political status or societal influence, should be allowed to drag the altar into the gutters of ego, excess, or unrestrained arrogance”.