Senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu, has said he would resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC) if President Bola Tinubu ever disrespected the Catholic Church.

Kalu made the statement on Wednesday during Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, while reacting to the controversy surrounding a recent meeting between President Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

The CBCN leadership, led by Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, met with the President at the State House in Abuja last week, where the bishops raised concerns over economic hardship and insecurity in the country.

The meeting subsequently sparked a war of words after Cardinal John Onaiyekan, former Archbishop of Abuja, said the President was unhappy with the message delivered by the bishops.

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, later accused the Catholic Church of supporting the opposition.

Kalu, however, defended the bishops, saying there was nothing unusual about them speaking on matters affecting the country. He described them as the conscience of the nation.

“The Catholic bishops were right. If they had said anything less than what they said, they would no longer be the conscience of this country,” he said.

The former Abia State governor also dismissed suggestions that President Tinubu had disrespected the Catholic Church, arguing that statements made by presidential aides should not automatically be regarded as the President’s personal position.

“The Villa is not President Tinubu. I was a governor and I understand how communication works. President Tinubu has a very good relationship with the Catholic Church,” Kalu said.

He maintained that Catholic bishops had consistently spoken truth to power, regardless of the administration in office.

“What politicians cannot tell the president, the Catholic bishops will tell him because they have no political interests to protect,” he added.

On calls for the presidency to apologise to the Catholic Church, Kalu said President Tinubu had done nothing that warranted an apology.

“Any day President Tinubu disrespects the opposition, or the Catholic Church, I will resign from the APC,” he stated.

The senator also defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms, arguing that the Tinubu administration had stabilised the country’s macroeconomic situation.

“The macro side of the economy has been stabilised. The exchange rate is stabilising, fuel prices are stabilising, foreign direct investments are coming in and confidence is gradually returning,” he said.

However, Kalu acknowledged that conditions at the microeconomic level remained difficult.

“As a businessman, I manufacture goods, and I know the microeconomy is not doing well. President Tinubu himself knows Nigerians are suffering,” he said.

He attributed much of the weakness in the microeconomy to insecurity, arguing that improved security would allow farmers to return to their farms and help reduce food inflation.

Turning to the 2027 general election, Kalu described President Tinubu as the candidate to beat, saying the opposition parties lacked the unity required to challenge the ruling APC.

“If they were united, there might be some concern, but they are not. Our party will not allow President Tinubu to lose the election. We will campaign until he wins,” he stated.