The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri has dismissed claims circulating on social media that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was part of this year’s Odenigbo Lecture held at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Archdiocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Patrick C. Mbarah, said the reports were “outright falsehood” aimed at misrepresenting facts about the intellectual and spiritual event, which is the highlight of the Archdiocesan Day celebration.
According to Mbarah, El-Rufai was not invited to deliver any speech or press briefing at the premises of Villa Assumpta.
He explained that the 2025 Odenigbo Lecture, rendered entirely in Igbo, was delivered on September 6 by Rev. Sr. Prof. Evangeline Oparaocha of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
The Archdiocese further clarified that while Peter Obi, former Anambra governor, has been a regular guest at previous editions of the lecture, he did not attend this year’s event.
“It would be most misleading for any group or news medium to publish or broadcast such a falsehood,” part of the statement read.
The Church also condemned the disruption of the lecture midway by a group of placard-carrying youths and women, allegedly hired to chant unprintable words against Obi and El-Rufai.
It described the act as “hooliganism” and “a desecration of the hallowed grounds of Villa Assumpta.”
Calling on the government and security agencies to track down the sponsors of the protesters, the Archdiocese stressed that Imo State has long been known for peace and hospitality to visitors and would not allow its reputation to be undermined by such acts
