Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, addressed widespread backlash on Sunday over his recent suggestion to transform church vigils into more productive “night shifts.” Obi’s remarks during an interview on the Honest Bunch podcast, aired on Saturday, faced heavy criticism, with many interpreting his comments as an infringement on religious practices.
In the interview, Obi had argued that poverty and a lack of productivity in Nigeria stem from two main factors: politics and religion. He highlighted what he saw as an excessive amount of time spent in church services from Monday to Friday, drawing a mixed reaction from the public.
Reacting to the controversy, Obi’s media aide, Ibrahim Umar, issued a statement clarifying that Obi’s comments were misinterpreted and exaggerated by some media reports, which implied he sought the “dismantling of churches.”
The statement clarified, “Our attention has been drawn to a huge twist in his recent media interview, suggesting, erroneously, that he called for dismantling churches in Nigeria. By misinterpreting the headline, Obi’s original message has been severely distorted to serve a mischievous agenda.”
The statement reiterated Obi’s respect for religious faiths and asserted that he merely emphasized the need to pair faith with active productivity, mirroring the words of Apostle James that “faith without works is unhelpful.” Obi’s comments, the statement noted, were meant to encourage a balance between spiritual devotion and tangible work, underlining that both could harmoniously coexist.
“Obi, in his interview, underscored that even Jesus Christ chose his disciples from active professions, like fishermen and tax collectors, not from those idling. The issue he highlighted is the mistaken practice of replacing work with prayer instead of integrating both,” the statement elaborated. “There’s no scriptural support that Jesus blessed idleness, and Obi’s intent was simply to promote a balanced approach to worship and work.”
Obi’s response thus sought to dispel the misinterpretation, emphasizing that his message was aimed at encouraging active contribution to society alongside faith, rather than diminishing the significance of religious practices in Nigeria.
