Mbaka wanted contracts for supporting Buhari but was rebuffed, says Garba Shehu

April 30, 2021 6:48 pm

Presidency says Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of the Adoration Ministry (AMEN), once brought three contractors to President Muhammadu Buhari and was rebuffed.

This, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman said, was behind Mbaka’s call on Buhari to resign over the worsening insecurity in the country.

In a statement released on Friday, titled “Father Mbaka is everything apart form what he claims to be” and shared with TheCable, Shehu said an “outsider distilling the avalanche of verbiage will be surprised that after supporting the President two times to win the Presidency, Father Mbaka has made a complete U-Turn, preposterously asking President Buhari to resign or be impeached.

“Here is the point of departure: Father Mbaka asked for a meeting and to the shock of Presidential Aides, he came accompanied by three contractors. The President graciously allowed them in, and to everyone’s surprise, Father Mbaka asked for contracts as compensation for his support.

“Anyone familiar with President Buhari knows that he doesn’t break the laid down rules in dealing with contracts or any other government business for that matter. He requested the appropriate authorities to deal with the matter in accordance with laid down rules.

“Inside the Villa, discretion prevailed, that if those pictures and requests were made public, the followers will turn against the religious leader. None of it was released. Now, this is what is eating Father Mbaka.”

TheCable has contacted the priest for comment but has not yet had a response.

Mbaka, a controversial and popular cleric, had endorsed Buhari both in 2015 and 2019 and supported him over the years.

However, on Wednesday he said God is angry with the president over his inaction on the widespread killings across the nation.

The Catholic priest asked the national assembly to impeach him if he fails to resign.

“I know people will say, Mbaka did you not pray for Buhari, did Samuel not anoint Saul? What are you talking about? Am I the creator of Buhari? God created him, Nigerians trusted him because he has done well sometimes ago but now how can people just be dying?” Mbaka said.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to report him to Pope Francis “for threatening” Buhari’s government.