ECWA refutes ‘malicious’ report on ‘presidential choice’

Demands apology, withdrawal within 24 hours

The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) has dissociated itself from reports in two national dailies, which claimed it would soon announce a preferred presidential candidate.

The church, which described the reports as mischievous, malicious and absolute falsehood, gave the newspapers 24 hours (beginning 12:00 p.m. yesterday) to withdraw the publications and tender apologies.

In a strongly worded statement, copies of which were distributed to journalists in Jos, Plateau State, Public Relations Officer, Rev. Romanus Ebenwokodi, said the church was piqued with the stories, titled: ‘ECWA President: Church Will Announce Presidential Choice Soon’ and ‘Church To Take Decision Soon – ECWA President’, which appeared in the publications.

The statement reads: “In the course of its Extraordinary General Church Council, which started January 17, 2023, the attention of ECWA General Church Council has been drawn to mischievous and malicious publications by certain sections of the media on their banner headlines.

“The General Church Council wishes to state that at no time did it make the alluded resolution, neither did the president, at any time during the proceedings of the Council, make the statement credited to him by the newspapers in question.

“ECWA, as a denomination, has its members across all political parties and the leadership of ECWA respects that. Therefore, we need the teeming members of ECWA, the Church in Nigeria, and the general public to understand that the said publications are absolute falsehood that have been contemplated, and are meant to cause unnecessary tension, that is capable of dragging the good name of ECWA in the mud.

“ECWA, therefore, strongly demands the newspapers, herewith, publicly withdraw the said publications and tender public apologies to ECWA within 24 hours beginning 12:00 p.m., January 18.”