Lere Olayinka, an aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has come to the defence of Bishop Leonard Kawas following criticism of the cleric’s decision to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term.
The controversy followed the emergence of a photograph showing Kawas with Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 election. Reacting to the image, Olayinka questioned why Kawas was not labelled a “fake bishop” when he was seen in the company of Obi.
Kawas, who serves as the President-General of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), recently appeared on Arise News to explain the group’s decision to visit Tinubu and publicly support his bid for another term.
During the interview, Kawas described Tinubu as a performing president and expressed confidence that the administration would fulfil its promises if Nigerians gave the President another opportunity to govern.
The endorsement has generated criticism, particularly among some supporters of opposition parties. Some critics have questioned the bishops’ decision and accused members of the group of being “fake bishops.”
Responding to the backlash, Olayinka posted the photograph of Kawas with Obi on social media, arguing that the cleric’s credibility was not questioned when he was associated with the former Anambra State governor.
In his reaction, Olayinka wrote: “He wasn’t a FAKE BISHOP here. He became a fake bishop because he stopped supporting their FAKE MAN.”
He also identified Kawas as the President-General of the CBCN and argued that the bishop was now being subjected to the same criticism faced by individuals who have withdrawn their support for Obi.
Olayinka went further to predict that Obi would be unsuccessful in the 2027 presidential election.
“But the FAKE MAN will still fail in January 2027,” he added.
The exchange comes as political realignments continue to gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, with politicians, religious leaders and various groups increasingly taking public positions on the presidential race.
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