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Bishop Leonard Kawas has clarified his controversial statement that his group would support President Bola Tinubu “as long as he wants to be president,” saying he was referring only to the constitutional limit on presidential tenure.
Kawas, President of the Charismatic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, made the clarification while defending the group’s endorsement of Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
His earlier statement had raised questions over whether the bishops’ endorsement could extend beyond the two-term constitutional limit applicable to Nigerian presidents.
Asked to clarify what he meant, Kawas said his comment was not an endorsement of a life presidency or an unconstitutional extension of Tinubu’s tenure.
“When we say as long as he wants to be president, it’s because he may decide not to run for a second term.”
He said Nigerians should not interpret the statement to mean that Tinubu could remain president indefinitely.
“Nobody’s a child. When we say as long as he wants to be, it’s because he’s rounding up one tenure now, and so if he chooses to go for the next tenure, we are supporting him.”
Kawas stressed that the bishops were law-abiding and understood the constitutional limits on presidential tenure.
“Of course, we are law-abiding people. We are educated people,” he said
“When we say as long as he wants, of course, it’s needless to say within the provisions of the Constitution, because he can never run for president more than twice,” he added.
Kawas therefore said the group’s position was that it would support Tinubu if he chose to contest for another term in 2027, but only within the constitutional framework.
“Whenever he rounds up this one, and if he chooses to go for another one, as long as he chooses to go for another round, we will support him.”
He maintained that the original statement had been taken out of context.
“That’s what we’re saying. People took it out of proportion.”
Kawas’ clarification came amid wider criticism of the bishops’ endorsement of Tinubu, with some questioning whether religious leaders should openly take political positions.
He, however, maintained that supporting a political candidate was within his fundamental right and said the group’s decision was based on its assessment of the current situation in Nigeria.
