Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has declared that he would resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC) if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ever disrespects the Catholic bishops or members of the opposition.
The senator, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, made the statement while speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
He dismissed claims that President Tinubu had insulted the Catholic Church following recent reactions to comments made by Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan.
Kalu said the President enjoys a cordial relationship with the Catholic Church and has never shown disrespect to its leaders.
According to him, Tinubu has consistently received Catholic bishops whenever they requested an audience, describing the church as an important institution that has always spoken on national issues.
“Tinubu did not insult the Catholic Church. This is not the first time the Catholic Church has gone to President Tinubu,” Kalu said.
He added, “In every country, from DRC, Angola to South Africa, and anywhere, the Catholic and other churches are always the conscience of the country.”
The former Abia State governor stressed that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has, for decades, maintained a tradition of speaking on the state of the nation after its annual meetings.
He argued that the bishops should not be seen as political opponents simply because they express concerns over governance.
According to him, the church has continued to play a constructive role by drawing the attention of governments to issues affecting citizens.
“I do not see anything wrong in what the Catholic bishops said. Since the military rule, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference holds its conference every year, where they talk and issue a statement about the state of the nation,” he stated.
Kalu said religious leaders often raise difficult national issues that political office holders may be unwilling to tell the President directly.
“For me, Tinubu is not an enemy to the Catholic bishops. The President has a very good relationship with the Catholic Church,” he said.
“Anytime they asked for an audience, he has given it to them because any president dodging Catholic bishops is dodging himself. What politicians cannot tell the President, the Catholic bishops will say it.”
The controversy followed comments made by Cardinal Onaiyekan after a recent meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa.
The clerics had reportedly expressed concerns over the country’s economic hardship, rising insecurity and other national challenges during the meeting.
According to Onaiyekan, the President disagreed with some of the bishops’ assessment of the situation.
Following the meeting, some presidential aides publicly challenged the position of the bishops.
They also accused certain Catholic leaders of allowing political interests to influence their remarks.
The responses caused reactions from sections of the Christian community, with some describing the comments directed at the clerics as disrespectful.
However, Kalu insisted that President Tinubu himself neither insulted nor threatened the bishops.
He also rejected suggestions that the President had shown hostility towards opposition figures.
“It is not true. If you hear him well, he said we will have a fair contest, and he will not touch anybody,” Kalu said.
He then issued his strongest declaration on the matter.
“Any day President Tinubu disrespects the opposition or Catholic bishops, I will resign from the APC.”
Speaking on the political outlook ahead of the 2027 general election, the senator expressed confidence that President Tinubu would secure another term in office.
Kalu argued that although many Nigerians continue to face economic hardship, the administration has recorded significant achievements in infrastructure development, security and economic reforms.
He, however, admitted that the ruling APC had not done enough to communicate those achievements to the public.
“A lot has been done by this government. We simply have not marketed those achievements well,” he said.
The lawmaker maintained that the performance of the administration should not be judged only by the current economic challenges.
According to him, government policies require time before their full impact can be felt by citizens.
He also urged the ruling party to do more to explain its programmes and interventions, saying Nigerians deserve to understand the objectives behind the reforms being implemented by the Federal Government.
Assessing the administration’s performance, Kalu gave Tinubu a score of about 65 per cent.
“On a scale of 100, President Tinubu has done about 65 per cent. By September or October, that performance will be close to 70 per cent,” he stated.
While he did not outline the specific projects or policy outcomes that informed his assessment, the senator maintained that the government had made measurable progress despite inheriting significant economic and security challenges.
Kalu also dismissed suggestions that opposition parties could easily unseat the APC in the next presidential election.
According to him, opposition political parties remain divided and have not built a united platform capable of challenging the ruling party.
He argued that unless opposition leaders resolve their internal differences and present a common front before the 2027 election, they would struggle to mount a serious challenge against President Tinubu and the APC.
The senator maintained that the ruling party still enjoys a strong political structure across the country and remains well-positioned ahead of the next general election.