Lawyer to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to formally reprimand the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his reckless and disrespectful remarks about the Anglican Church.
Ejiofor made the call in a statement entitled “Nyesom Wike’s Unholy Outburst and the Profanation of God’s Altar: A National Embarrassment in a House of Worship,”.
He said that Wike’s behavior revealed a clear incapacity to hold public office.
The lawyer expressed astonishment that Wike, a senior member of the Anglican Communion, blatantly disregarded all calls for restraint.
He rather chose to engage in disgraceful tirades within the sacred space of a church.
“What right-thinking individual especially one entrusted with public office and honored with ecclesiastical titles would stoop to such debasement, particularly within the sacred precincts of an altar?”
The statement reads, “I watched with profound shock and dismay the now-viral video clips capturing yet another appalling display of national disgrace.
“This time, it is orchestrated by none other than the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Desecrating God’s house
“Sadly, this latest descent into ignominy did not occur in the familiar theatres of partisan politics or the chaotic arenas of political rallies.
‘It unfolded within the hallowed walls of St. James Anglican Church, Asokoro – an altar sanctified for worship, reflection, and the celebration of God’s grace.
Ejiofor described as regrettable and unacceptable that testimony sharing by worshippers was shamelessly hijacked for political grandstanding, reckless vituperation, and the desecration of God’s sanctuary.
“To counter the erroneous narrative suggesting that the Church was complicit in this sacrilegious episode – I wish to offer some clarity.
“As a proud Knight of St. Christopher in the Anglican Communion, I am well acquainted with the traditions and reverent decorum expected during such sacred assemblies.
“It is not the character of the Vicar, clergy, or Church stewards to forcibly retrieve a microphone from a speaker mid-address.
“I am reliably informed that, in keeping with Anglican protocol, subtle and repeated signals were discreetly passed to Mr. Wike at the height of his appalling outburst, urging him to either redirect his speech or swiftly conclude his so-called “testimony”, which was the only context in which he had been permitted to address the congregation.
“Yet, in an astounding act of defiance and irreverence, Wike – a high-ranking member of the Anglican Communion, ignored every signal of restraint and plunged even further into disgraceful tirades, right within God’s temple.
Betrayal of public officer
Ejiofor viewed the incident as a betrayal of public trust for the high ranking government officer.
“What right-thinking individual, let alone one entrusted with public office and honoured with ecclesiastical titles, would stoop to such debasement – and worse, within the sacred precincts of the altar?
The legal luminary maintained that using the pulpit for personal tirades by someone of Wike’s stature reflects a total collapse of decorum and spiritual sensitivity.
“As I have repeatedly emphasized, the time has come for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Nyesom Wike to order – or, better still, subject him to a comprehensive psychological evaluation to determine his fitness for public office and his grasp of basic behavioral decency.
“The nation must not continue to tolerate this disruptive pattern, camouflaged as boldness, especially when it desecrates our sacred spaces and undermines our shared values.
The house of God must remain holy. No individual, regardless of political status or societal influence, should be allowed to drag the altar into the gutters of ego, excess, or unrestrained arrogance.
