By Gabriel Ani
Abuja, Nigeria – Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi did not call for the dismantling of churches, according to a statement issued Sunday by his media office, Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR). The clarification comes in response to what Obi’s team describes as a “distortion” of his recent interview with podcasters, where he discussed the importance of productivity over night vigils.
“The attention of the Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR, has been drawn to a huge twist in his recent media interview, saying erroneously that he called for the dismantling of Churches in Nigeria,” POMR spokesman Ibrahim Umar said. “By the headline given to the interview, the import of Obi’s message has been greatly overturned and grossly distorted to serve a mischievous end.”
In the interview, Obi suggested that Nigerians should focus more on productivity, encouraging night shifts as an alternative to all-night prayer vigils. Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, used scriptural references to support his stance on balancing faith with work. He cited Apostle James, noting that “faith without works is unhelpful,” and emphasized that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
“When Obi said that he would turn night vigil into production night, he was only stressing the importance of worshipping God through work,” Umar explained. “Even Jesus Christ never picked any of his 12 disciples where they were praying but where they were working: fishermen, tax collectors, etc.”
Umar added that Obi’s intent was not to undermine religious practices but to advocate for a more balanced approach where work complements prayer. “What we are doing in Nigeria, which is what Obi’s interview is highlighting as wrong and should discontinue, is exchanging work for prayer when the two should go together,” he said.
POMR’s statement clarified that Obi’s comments aimed to underscore the Labour Party leader’s longstanding mantra of moving Nigeria “from consumption to production.” Obi’s mention of “dismantling” was, according to Umar, directed at the nation’s worship culture, which he argues should adapt to prioritize productivity.
“Obi’s message should resonate properly away from the intention of mischief makers,” Umar continued. “As a man whose campaign mantra is on taking Nigeria from consumption to production, Obi’s message is clear: we need to be in a good state of mind and body while glorifying our creator.”
The media office urged Nigerians to disregard misleading interpretations of Obi’s words, emphasizing that his focus remains on the economic transformation and development of Nigeria.
