During an interview from 10:18 on Channels Television on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Bishop Leonard Kawas, President-General of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, responded to claims that his decision to support President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election was motivated by money.
According to him, his support for political candidates has never been based on financial considerations, noting that he previously supported Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential campaign without receiving money from him.
He stated, “This is not the first time we are supporting any candidate. And those who are saying I switched to Tinubu because of money—if it was money, how come that Peter Obi did not give me money in Makurdi? I still followed him to Taraba. He didn’t give me money in Taraba; I still followed him to Adamawa. I still followed him to Kaduna. I still followed him to Minna. I followed him to Illorin. I followed him to Ibadan. I followed him to the southeast. I followed him all over the southeast. And I followed him to south-south. And the day he was rounding up the campaign in Lagos, I was there with my team.”
Kawas explained that his previous involvement in Obi’s campaign demonstrated that his political support was not driven by financial inducement. He pointed to the various locations he visited during the campaign, saying he continued to support Obi despite not receiving money from him.
The President-General of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has recently faced criticism following the organization’s endorsement of Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election. Kawas has also defended his wider history of political participation, saying he has supported different political figures over the years.