Somewhere in Enugu, SE #Nigeria, a Catholic Priest is prostituting the pulpit for cash in return for party political endorsements. His mission, he claims, is to build an Adoration Ministry for the Holy Spirit. Many of his patrons have cases to answer in grand corruption 
In 1 week between the end of 2014 & the beginning of 2015, the same priest endorsed both @GEJonathan & @MBuhari, on both occasions from the pulpit & with sacramental authority. Church authorities said & did very little
The business of selling church endorsement to finance grand building in the name of faith is very storied in the Catholic Church. In 1505, Pope Julius II demolished the original Basilica of St Peter across the Tiber in order to replace it with a grander model.
10 yrs later, in 1515, to help fund the project of the new Basilica, Pope Leo X propounded a Papal Bull allowing for the absolution of nearly all sin (including burglary, theft & adultery), through the sale & purchase of appropriate indulgence. It was a boon to printing presses
Albrecht, Elector & Archbishop of Mainz & Magdeburg was a true Papal rainmaker, deputing a commissary to traffic in indulgences. Martin Luther, preacher & professor of philosophy at Univ of Wittenberg concluded this had no bases in the Bible & the rest, as they say, is history
S. 95(3) of 2015 Electoral Act says:
Places designated for religious worship, police station, & public offices shall not be used-
(a) for political campaigns, rallies and processions; or
(b)to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their progs or ideologies
Places designated for religious worship, police station, & public offices shall not be used-
(a) for political campaigns, rallies and processions; or
(b)to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their progs or ideologies
S. 95(7) of the Electoral Act prescribes punishments for violations of the prohibition against the use of places of worship for political endorsement, including:
(a) in the case of an individual, a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for 12months.
(a) in the case of an individual, a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for 12months.
The prohibitions in the Electoral Act on the use of places of religious worship for political endorsements have always been unambiguous. Religious leaders, as citizens, can make private choices as to who to vote for. But as officiating prelates, they shd respect the Electoral Act
It's worse that a priest shd use the Pulpit for a conclave of some persons accused of #Nigeria's political plunder in Nigeria, including @OUKtweets & @GovUmarGanduje. Hopefully, @officialEFCC can take an interest in investigating the Adoration Ministry for receiving stolen goods
The hierarchy of the various faith institutions also have a duty to skill up & to reign in their clergy. There's good reason why places of worship must be preserved from partisan give-go - they are one of the few sanctuaries left that ppl who feel endangered can run to for safety
If, hwever, faith authorities in #Nigeria persist in turning a blind eye to the marché ouverte in stolen money being used to buy partisan endorsements from their various pulpits, they shdn't expect a repeat of Luther's 95 Theses. They jst make it more likely that stuff cld happen
@threadreaderapp please unroll
