The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State, Mr Chijioke Edeoga has taken a swipe at the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu ecclesiastical province and Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Rev (Dr) Emmanuel Chukwuma for saying that the people of Enugu State could be Obidient at the national level but not in Enugu State.

Recall that Bishop Chukwuma made the statement recently at the funeral of the late former military administrator of Osun and Abia states, Colonel Anthony Obi, at Akpugo in Nkanu West local government area of the state. The Bishop had emphasized that “in Enugu State we are not Obedient, we are under the umbrella (the PDP logo).”

Later in a BBC Igbo interview, Bishop Chukwuma wondered if the Labour Party candidates in Enugu State who are hoping to ride on the back of Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, to election victory in 2023 are like him in deeds. “What are your achievements and what is your pedigree?, Bishop Chukwuma had queried.

But Edeoga, speaking as a guest on the Enugu-based Solid 100.9 FM Radio live interview programme, View Point, Monday morning, dismissed the statement by Bishop Chukwuma, saying it did not reflect the opinion of his congregation.

The host of the programme, Uche Gabriel, had asked his guest: “Recently a very revered bishop said we could be Obidient at the national level but not in Enugu State. How do you respond to that?” Edeoga retorted, saying the bishop “has one vote, just one vote”. Reminded that the Bishop is a man of influence who can sway voters, he interrupted, insisting that Archbishop Chukwuma “has just one vote”.

Doubling down, Edeoga stressed: “Every individual has just one vote. I am an Anglican, I worship in his church. Where is he even among his own congregation? God knows. But I just said that all of us have just one vote, no matter how strong your views are”.

He said given the difficulties in the country, people are more self-aware that power is in their hands, stressing that “being led by the nose is not an option”, while still referring to the bishop’s statement.

Told that the general opinion of Enugu residents was that he did not perform well as the Commissioner of Environment as Enugu metropolis littered by heaps of refuse under his watch, the former chairman of Isi Uzo local government area as well as former member of the Federal House of Representatives said they were entitled to their opinions, saying if that was the only area he could be faulted in his entire public service career, he was satisfied.