One of the fake bishops who was reportedly recruited by Bola Tinubu’s presidential campaign to introduce Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has described how he was hired to play the role.
The charlatan, who identified himself as Joseph Odaudu, claimed that Mr Tinubu’s hirelings breached a mutual agreement to pay N100,000 for the dubious job.
Mr Odaudu, speaking to the Peoples Gazette just after the event, said, “They came to meet us at the car park behind Eagle Square and they promised to give me N100,000. They bought food for us and took us to another place where they gave us clothes to dress like Christian leaders and reverend fathers.
“But after we finished they only gave me N40,000 and another person said they got only N30,000. I don’t know why they changed our agreement because they said they had N100,000 for us.
“I am a Christian and I am supporting Tinubu but I hate when people lie and fail to deliver on their promises,” he said.
When contacted for comment, Mr Tinubu’s campaign’s spokesperson did not respond.
Due to harsh criticism from the Christian community and national opinion leaders, the fake bishops dressed in robes were intended to give Christian voters the impression that Mr Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim northerner as his running mate for the 2023 general election was good for the nation.
The Catholic Church has denied having any representation at the event and referred to those who attended as “impostors”.
When questioned about whether he was aware that it was unlawful to pose as a Catholic bishop, Mr Odaudu argued he had broken no laws.
He said, “No law was broken we only tried to show Nigerians that Christians are solidly behind Asiwaju Tinubu.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had voiced its disapproval to the All Progressives Congress on its decision to fly a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 election.
Additionally, following protests and harsh condemnation from Nigerians, Christian leaders in the APC have repeatedly warned that the same-religion ticket would spell disaster for the party.