Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Kalu, has said he will resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC) if President Bola Tinubu disrespects the opposition or the Catholic Church.

Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, made the declaration during an interview on Wednesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said Tinubu had not insulted the Catholic bishops and that he saw no reason for the President to apologise over the controversy surrounding his recent meeting with Catholic leaders.

“Any day President Tinubu has disrespect for the opposition, or has disrespect for the Catholic Church, I’d resign from the APC. The President can never insult the Catholic bishop, knowing him. The President didn’t say anything that needs apology. If there is anything wrong the Presidency has done, he should apologise,” Kalu said.

The senator also defended the President’s relationship with the Catholic Church, describing Tinubu as a friend of the Church and arguing that the bishops were in a position to raise issues with him that others might not be able to.

“Tinubu has a good relationship with the Catholic Church. Nothing wrong in what the Catholic bishops said. Tinubu is not an enemy to Catholic bishops, one of their best friends. Tinubu by no means insulted the bishops. I didn’t see it,” he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in the State House. Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Kalu said Cardinal John Onaiyekan’s comments after the meeting with Tinubu should not necessarily be interpreted as the collective position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

“The discussion the Catholic bishops had with President Tinubu is not personal. They had cameras there, so it’s a public discussion. Onaiyekan did not go with other Catholic bishops. That might be his opinion,” he said.

He added that the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference had read the communiqué from the meeting, stressing that individual cardinals and archbishops could hold different views.

The controversy followed Onaiyekan’s comments after the meeting at the Presidential Villa, where he said the bishops told Tinubu that Nigeria was “bleeding” and that many Nigerians were facing severe economic hardship.

The Cardinal also raised concerns about the 2027 elections and the credibility of the electoral process, prompting criticism from some government officials and political figures.

Fresh reactions followed after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike accused the cardinal of political bias over his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi rejected the claim, insisting the cleric was speaking out against hardship, poverty and corruption, while urging the government to focus on tackling the country’s economic and security challenges.

Meanwhile, Tinubu at the meeting dismissed opposition claims of intimidation and declared he was ready for political competition without giving rivals “a red carpet.” (Channels TV)

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