It has come to the notice of the Department of the Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Abuja a false news which has gone viral on the endorsement of Kashim Shettima as the APC Vice Presidential candidate.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐-๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ (๐ด๐๐ถ) ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ขโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ 2023 presidential election, the loyalists of the ruling party have been at their wits end explaining to Nigerians the soundness of their choice.
One of their antics to give credit to the much criticized choice, has been to use the good names of reputable Nigerians to ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ the image of Shettima. One of such futile attempts is dragging the name of Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, into the fan base of APC. Recently, the social media was agog with the skewed news of such spurious endorsement.
๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ ยง ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ โ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก, ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐.โ
Endorsing a candidate of a particular party by any cleric as purported is certainly foreign to the clerical state ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐. It is therefore unthinkable that Archbishop Kaigama who knows better the workings of the Church as ๐ top cleric in the Nigerian sphere, would make such alleged endorsement. How could he when such posture contradicts the very essence of his episcopal ministry?
The rumor peddlers depict that they are out of touch with ecclesiastical reality in Nigeria. ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ (๐๐๐๐) ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ 2018. After him, there have been two successors, yet the bearers of the false news ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ him now in 2022 as the President of CBCN, ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ.
The bigger question to be asked is: How did we come about such a nasty insinuation? Why the futile attempt to put words in the mouth of the Archbishop?
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ 2016. As ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ along with other bishops, graced the Golden Jubilee of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri while Kashim Ibrahim Shettima was the Governor of Borno State.
As it was customary, he led the bishops to pay ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐. Archbishop Kaigama minced no words in reminding his listeners that the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria has prophetic voice. His words: โ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐. ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ. ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ.โ
Coming from such premise, he of course commended some virtues he found in ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
It has come to the notice of the Department of the Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Abuja ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ท๐ช ๐ฝ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐.
This ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ๐ฌ is coming after the nationwide outcry that graced the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) since Bola Ahmed Tinubuโs announced the former Governor of Borno, Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election, the loyalists of the ruling party have been at their wits end explaining to Nigerians the soundness of their choice.
One of their antics to give credit to the much criticized choice, has been to use the good names of reputable Nigerians to ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ the image of Shettima. One of such futile attempts is ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฏ ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฆ๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฃ๐, ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐. Recently, the social media was agog with the skewed news of such spurious endorsement.
To set the records right, at no point has the venerable archbishop either in his personal capacity or as the Metropolitan of Abuja Ecclesiastical Province made such comments. Those familiar with the norms of the Catholic Church understand that ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ง ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฑ ยง ๐ฎ admonishes that โ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก, ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐.โ
Endorsing a candidate of a particular party by any cleric as purported is certainly foreign to the clerical state ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐. It is therefore unthinkable that Archbishop Kaigama who knows better the workings of the Church as ๐ top cleric in the Nigerian sphere, ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ make such alleged endorsement. How could he when such posture contradicts the very essence of his episcopal ministry?
The rumor peddlers depict that they are out of touch with ecclesiastical reality in Nigeria. Archbishop Kaigama ended his tenure as President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) since 2018. After him, there have been two successors, yet the bearers of the false news ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ him now in 2022 as the President of CBCN, ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ.
The bigger question to be asked is: ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง? Why the futile attempt to put words in the mouth of the Archbishop?
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ 2016. ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ, ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐.
๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ, ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐. Archbishop Kaigama minced no words in reminding his listeners that the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria has prophetic voice. His words: โWe are a voice for the people. Our voice is a prophetic voice. We see things where things are good, we say it so. Where things are bad, we say it so.โ
Coming from such premise, he of course commended some virtues he found in the governor as it relates to his working relationship with peoples of other faith. ๐๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ฎ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฎโ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐!
The general public is hereby notified that Archbishop Kaigama has not and will not endorse any candidate as his flock cut across political parties and he would not prefer one candidate above the other. It is up to Nigerian voters to make their choice through the ballot box by electing the best candidates.
Fr. Patrick Alumuku, PhD
Director of Communications
Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja.
The general public is hereby notified that Archbishop Kaigama has not and will not endorse any candidate as his flock cut across ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ parties and he would not prefer one candidate above the other. It is up to Nigerian voters to make their choice through the ballot box by electing the best candidates.