Former Minister of Transportation, and vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Party, (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has defended Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, insisting that the cleric has no political affiliation and does not support any politician.

Amaechi made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday while reacting to claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Catholic cleric was not impartial during the 2023 general election.

The former Rivers State governor said he had to suspend the traditional mourning of his late mother to appear on the programme because he considered it necessary to defend his Christian faith amid the controversy surrounding the cardinal.

Responding to Wike’s allegation that Onaiyekan had a political leaning, Amaechi dismissed the claim, describing the cleric as politically neutral.

“He supports nobody. I see Cardinal Onaiyekan regularly, I worship at his chapel. He has no political leaning, the Catholic Church has no political leaning. Cardinal Onaiyekan himself supports nobody,” Amaechi said.

He added that his interactions with the cardinal over the years had convinced him that the cleric’s concerns were centred on the country’s worsening socio-economic conditions rather than partisan politics.

“I’ve had several conversations with him, the only thing that pains him is the level of indiscretion and poverty in the country,” he added.

Earlier, Wike had questioned Onaiyekan’s neutrality while reacting to the controversy that followed the cardinal’s remarks after a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.

Speaking during a media parley on Tuesday, Wike argued that the cleric’s repeated criticism of the government made it difficult to regard him as impartial.

“If a religious leader is perceived or seen to be taking a side, which is very clear, it is very difficult for people to begin to see those comments as being helpful,” Wike said.

The FCT minister further claimed: “I am aware of the position of Cardinal Onaiyekan; all of us know, it’s not hidden, whom he supports; everybody knows that.”

The recent upload of candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on its portal ahead of the 2027 general elections has sparked a fresh crisis in the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, with two aspirants laying claim to the party’s candidacy for the same elective position in Edo State.

DAILY POST reports that INEC had reportedly uploaded the photograph of Hon. Sunny Aguebor as the party’s candidate for Edo South Senatorial District on its portal.

The electoral commission was also reported to have uploaded the particulars of another aspirant, Mrs Epelle-Asemota Beigiditte Osayuki, alongside Hon. Aguebor’s photograph.

DAILY POST gathered that the development has created confusion among members and supporters of the party, as well as the two aspirants.

It was learnt that the development has further pitched both aspirants against each other over the party’s senatorial ticket, raising questions about who is the authentic NDC candidate for the Edo South contest.

When contacted, Hon. Aguebor insisted that he remained the only authentic candidate of the party for the Edo South senatorial election.

Aguebor, who described the discrepancy as an anomaly, alleged possible mischief or an error in the uploading of the candidate’s information.

He maintained that the party’s position on its candidate was clear, adding that the appearance of another aspirant’s name and particulars alongside his photograph on the INEC portal did not alter his status as the party’s candidate.

On her part, Mrs Asemota, whose name and particulars appeared on the document uploaded to the commission’s portal, declared that the matter was already being handled by the appropriate authorities.

According to her, “I am not really disposed to making comments on it now because the party is handling it and INEC is handling it as well. I will leave it at that.”

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has declared that the 2027 presidential election has already been concluded.

Sani assured that the North would give Tinubu at least 95 percent of the total vote in the 2027 presidential election.

He spoke during the flag off of 122km Kaduna-Birni Gwari road on Tuesday.

The governor noted that the people of Kaduna State are happy with Tinubu.

He said: “We have to be happy with what he has done for us and whether we like it or not, Kaduna is the capital of Northern Nigeria, everyone is proud of Kaduna.

“Kaduna’s development is a development for all the states of Northern Nigeria, so we are happy and grateful to the president for recognizing that Kaduna is the heart of Northern Nigeria.

“We will continue to support the president, I have no doubt in my mind that the 2027 election has been concluded, and we are given President Tinubu at least 95% of the total votes. There is no doubt about that and I stand to be challenged.

“The Western bypass is ongoing from the Abuja junction to the Kawu motorpark and that is also a construction undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Works under the able leadership of Tinubu.

“We are resuming the construction of Eastern bypass which is extremely very critical for our people, it will resume according to my conversation with the Minister in the next two weeks by the grace of God, so all these are things the president is doing for the people of Kaduna State.”

The governor maintained that Tinubu is doing what no past president has done in Northern Nigeria.

“About two weeks ago, I came out boldly and said no president in the history of Nigeria has done what Tinubu did for us here in Northern Nigeria and I challenge anyone to come up with anything contrary to what I have said.

“Tinubu has done a lot, only now my brother and friend, Masari stood here and mentioned most of the projects that Mr President is doing in Northern Nigerian; again, the Minister came up here and confirmed all those projects.

“Let me ask a question, why was it that other leaders were not doing what Tinubu is doing today for Northern Nigeria, was it that Northern Nigeria was not a priority or that was not their concern? We thank Tinubu for the love for the North and humanity,” he added.