PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF UMUAHIA
21/04/2015


PREAMBLE:

The Presidential and gubernatorial elections of Nigeria have come and gone. We wish to congratulate Nigerians for coming out en mass to exercise their franchise in the recently concluded elections.

However, we wish to state as follows:
1. The INEC as an independent umpire, should be and also be seen as independent and transparent. The action of officials should induce confidence and not resentment. The situation where INEC officials connive with party agents to subvert the electoral process as was observed in Abia State during the gubernatorial elections is condemnable.

2. We wish also to condemn in strong terms, the wide-spread irregularities such as violence, snatching of ballot boxes, election materials, result sheets, monetary inducement of officials and intimidation that characterized that election in many polling units in Abia State.

3. The security agents have the constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property of citizens, and ensure that voters are protected from violence as they exercise their civic responsibility. We condemn strongly the situation as was observed where security agents collude with party agents to harass, intimidate, and even orchestrate violence against the people and especially the opposition.

4. The vote count should reflect the will of the people. We strongly condemn the situation where the people after filing for hours under the sun for accreditation and voting only to observe that their votes did not count as was the case in many polling units in Abia State. People watched as the votes were counted in polling centres but with embarrassing results announced later. This undoubtedly leads to despair, hopelessness, apathy and helplessness.

CONCLUSION
In spite of all these we appeal to our people to be calm, steadfast and law abiding and to participate in the upcoming rerun election on 25th April, 2015.



Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji
Bishop of Umuahia

INEC should read this and note that Abians are not happy with the sham that happened here under their watch. Abians should read and prepare for Saturday. Nigerians should read and know that we are not all corrupt and should help us liberate Abia.

The church beginning to play its pivotal role in nation building. Keep it up.

Thank God for the catholic Church!

what happened in Abia state; both the Preseidential, HOR, Senate and the Gov elections were all a shame to the good people of Abia state!

We must resist T A Orji and his band of evil men as they strive to push Abia further into darkness!!

Inec and Jega should better ask for a total Rerun of the gov elections and do something more credible!!

Independa:
PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF UMUAHIA
21/04/2015


PREAMBLE:

The Presidential and gubernatorial elections of Nigeria have come and gone. We wish to congratulate Nigerians for coming out en mass to exercise their franchise in the recently concluded elections.

However, we wish to state as follows:
1. The INEC as an independent umpire, should be and also be seen as independent and transparent. The action of officials should induce confidence and not resentment. The situation where INEC officials connive with party agents to subvert the electoral processes as is observed in Abia State is condemnable.

2. We wish also to condemn in strong terms, the wide-spread irregularities such as violence, snatching of ballot boxes, election material result sheet, monetary inducement of official, intimidation that characterized that election in Abia State.

3. The security agents have the constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and properties of citizen, and ensure that voters are protected from violence as they exercise their civic responsibilities. We condemn strongly the situation as is observed where security agents now collude with party agents to harass, intimidate, and even orchestrate violence against the people and especially the opposition.

4. The vote count should reflect the will of the people. We strongly condemn the situations where the people after filing for hours under the sun for accreditation and voting only to feel that their votes do not count as is the case in Abia State. People watched as the votes were counted in polling centres but with embarrassing results announced later. This undoubtedly leads to despair, hopelessness, apathy and helplessness.

CONCLUSION
In spite of all these we appeal to our people to be calm, steadfast and law abiding and shun acts of violence.



Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji
Bishop of Umuahia

but for una church mind who really win in abia state?

.

dnawah:
but for una church mind who really win in abia state?

The church is nonpartisan. The stand is; justice should prevail, and the will of the people not subverted.

When Father Mbaka talk, I thought they said Catholic does not concern themselves in a political matters. Why are they stylishly telling us INEC has rigged or INEC is about to rig for PDP?

Flye:
When Father Mbaka talk, I thought they said Catholic does not concern themselves in a political matters. Why are they stylishly telling us INEC has rigged or INEC is about to rig for PDP?

When it is said that the Catholic Church does not get involve in politics, it does not mean that catholic priests does not vote, nor discuss politics. It means that the Church is not partisan - it does not practice party politics. That means, fundamentally a priest should not support a particular party, and use his office as a priest, especially the pulpit to promote the course of one party and suppress the other. Instead she teaches her people the principles of good governance and allows them to make informed decisions, knowing that their decisions have consequences.

Non- partisan is also not the same as condoning evil and injustice. The Church stands for justice and cries out or should cry out when justice is being truncated, especially in the face of structural injustice. This is exactly what the bishop did.

Should the Church the partisan, what happens when a direct (blood) brother of a priest is contesting for a position, and the main opponent is one of the priest's prominent parishioners? What of when the two are from the same parish?

Mbaka's case is slitly different, his was purely under a prophetic unction, which the church recognises, though its a bit above the line. But you should not stop it since the Spirit blows wherever it wills.

But the Bishop's stand is not in opposition, instead its directly in line with what the church stands for; preach justice and stand against injustice, even if many hate you.

dnawah:
but for una church mind who really win in abia state?

Its not about who wins, but about what is proper. After all some members of the Church are in PDP, some in APGA, while some are in APC within the same locality. But you can't just subvert the will of the people because you are more privileged. The Church is saying; "LET JUSTICE PREVAIL".