Archbishop Leonard Bature Kawas, a leader of the Charismatic Bishops, has defended his involvement in Nigerian politics, saying he supported Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign without receiving any financial reward from the former Anambra State governor.
Kawas made the clarification during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme while addressing criticism over his political activities and the controversy surrounding the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term by the Charismatic Bishops.
The cleric recalled that he backed Obi from the early stage of his presidential ambition and travelled with him to different parts of the country during the campaign.
“I supported Peter Obi at the initial stage of his presidential ambition and went with him everywhere in Nigeria and he never gave me one dollar, one naira,” Kawas said.
According to him, Obi never asked how he funded his trips to campaign venues or where he stayed during the travels. Kawas added that he personally paid the transportation expenses of six clergymen who accompanied him to campaign events.
“He would just see me at the campaign, we would pray for him, I would pay the transportation of six clergymen, we would come there and support him,” he said.
Kawas also addressed claims questioning his status as a bishop, saying he had recently been labelled a fake bishop because of his current political activities.
He argued that his participation in political campaigns was not new, noting that he had previously supported different presidential candidates and politicians across several administrations.
The archbishop recalled his involvement in the political campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying he started supporting Jonathan when he was deputy governor of Bayelsa State and later served on his presidential campaign council.
“I was in his presidential campaign council. I was the only bishop in Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign council and I took campaign everywhere,” he said.
Kawas further mentioned his support for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, explaining that he travelled across the country with others to campaign for him after being invited to lead prayers for the actualisation of his presidential ambition.
He also recalled his political involvement in Taraba State, where he campaigned for his leader, Reverend Jolly Nyame. Nyame later became governor of the state and appointed Kawas as chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Against this background, Kawas questioned why his participation in political activities should now be used to challenge his identity as a bishop.
“Is it now because I have prayed and God has led me that it is tenable that I suddenly now become fake?” he asked.
His comments come amid renewed attention on the role of Christian clerics in Nigeria’s political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kawas has previously been associated with political activities involving Obi. In October 2022, he led a delegation of Christian clerics to the Labour Party and publicly declared support for Obi’s presidential campaign.
At the time, Kawas rejected allegations that members of the delegation were “fake bishops”, insisting that they represented millions of Christians across Nigeria.
His latest remarks therefore frame his current political involvement as part of a longer history of engaging politicians and participating in presidential campaigns, rather than an activity that began with the current political realignment ahead of 2027.
Source: Arise TV
