Catholic Church Narrates What Happened during Protest against El-Rufai’s Visit in Imo
- The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, Imo state, has issued a statement following a protest against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai's visit
- The church said what was circulating on social media about El-Rufai’s presence at the event was a “misrepresentation of facts and outright falsehood”
- The Archdiocesan chancellor/secretary, Rev. Fr. Patrick C. Mbarah, narrated what happened during the Odenigbo lecture on Saturday, September 6, 2025
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Owerri, Imo state - The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, Imo state, has condemned the protest against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, during last Saturday’s Odenigbo lecture at Maria Assumpta Cathedral.
The Archdiocese urged the Imo state government and security agencies to unmask the sponsors of the protest.
Source: Twitter
The church called on those behind such acts to desist from such behavior.
The Archdiocesan Chancellor/Secretary, Rev. Fr. Patrick C. Mbarah, debunked reports that El-Rufai was invited to deliver the 2025 Odenigbo lecture.
Fr. Mbarah said El-Rufai neither addressed the gathering nor held a press conference at the venue.
As reported by The Punch, this was contained in a statement titled “Putting the Facts Straight.”
The church decried the “misrepresentation of facts and outright falsehood” circulating on social media about El-Rufai’s presence at the event.
“Only one guest lecturer of Igbo extraction, chosen the previous year, delivers the lecture. The last edition was no exception. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was not invited by the Archdiocese to deliver any lecture or speech at the event.”
The Archdiocese explained that a group of “hired, placard-carrying thugs” comprising youths and women stormed the back gate, chanting derogatory remarks against both Obi and El-Rufai.
“While Peter Obi could not attend, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai did not deliver any talk or press conference within the premises of Villa Assumpta.”
Source: Twitter
Omokri shares El-Rufai’s old video after church's visit
Recall that former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, dug out an old video of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
In the video, El-Rufai said that even if Pope was his running mate, Christians won’t vote for him in the Kaduna state governorship election in 2019.
Nigerians have taken to social media to react to the video after El-Rufai visited a church in Owerri, Imo state.
El-Rufai hints at preferred 2027 presidential candidate
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that El-Rufai said he did not have a preferred presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former governor made the clarification in Imo, stating that no government had worsened the country in two years like that of President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
El-Rufai then called on the people of Imo state to go for voter registration, adding that the southeast states have been recording low turnout.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
