Fact-Check: Did Pastor Onwumere Petition CAN Over Alleged N2b from Peter Obi for Churches to Campaign for Labour Party?

Fact-Check: Did Pastor Onwumere Petition CAN Over Alleged N2b from Peter Obi for Churches to Campaign for Labour Party? 

Claim: In a letter obtained by PRNigeria, Pastor Frank Onwumere of the Dominion Centre International was said to have petitioned the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, over a “N2 billion campaign grant” given by the presidential candidate for Labour Party, LP, to churches under the association, Catholic Bishops, and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. 

Full-Text: The content of the letter reads: 

“PETITION ON THE MISAPPROPRIATION OF N2 BILLION GIVEN BY THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE LABOUR PARTY, MR. PETER OBI, TO THE CHURCHES UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF CAN, CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND THE PENTECOSTAL, FELLOWSHIP OF NIGERIA PEN: TO FURTHER DRIVE HIS MANDATE DURING THE YULETIDE SEASON IN CHURCHES AND TO BE RECEIVED IN AUDIENCE BY THE VARIOUS CHRISTIAN BODIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

“With reference to the above and sequel to the meeting convened by my Church Dominion Centre International as Senior Pastor and few other churches within our locality of the Imo State metropolis on the raging misappropriation of N2 Billion disbursed by Mr. Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party to the various Christian organizations, on behalf of our district of the PFN, we do hereby petition the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), while other bodies duly served under the leadership of the Most Rev. Daniel Chukwudumebi Okoh expressing our disappointment, displeasure and disbelief of how the said funds were disbursed to mega churches, affluent Pentecostal churches, televangelists and renowned popular names of the Christendom[sic]. 

“We are appalled and disappointed that such humongous amount of money was given to the church by the Labour party to help and assist in mobilizing and convincing their congregation to vote massively for the candidacy of Mr. Peter Obi but to our chagrin, the said sum of money has developed wings and cannot be traced, as we have it on good authority, that it has been fleeced by mega churches and popular pastors and leaders who already as we write, are receiving the presidential candidate across the length and breadth of Nigeria without due consideration to other churches that have not received their own part of the tunds[sic].

“Sir, our grievances and anger are summarized in the questions below that need urgent answers and attention from CAN, PFN and Catholic Bishops of Nigeria. If our questions are not attended to, we would be forced to address a World Press Conference, for the world to know what is happening in Christendom in Nigeria…..” 

Verification: PRNigeria called the phone numbers (0818188499 and 07010147818) provided on the centre’s letterhead to verify the authenticity of the petition. 

The AI customer agent on one of the numbers repeatedly answered thus, “The number you are calling is not assigned to our customer. Please check the number and dial again.”

The other number also responded thus:“The phone number you are trying to call is not reachable at the moment but you can send a mini call for ten naira to the called party.” 

Again, PRNigeria sent an email to the email address provided on documents letterhead but no response has been received at the time of publishing this fact-check.

Using Google Maps, PRNigeria searched “Dominion Centre International” but could not detect its location. 

Instead, Dominion City Owerri, Dominion International Mission School, and International Conference Centre were detected by the map. 

Curiously, Plot 35 Okigwe Road, Owerri, Imo State, as written on the letterhead was searched to see the street view of the area to locate their building using man-on-the-street on the map, but PRNigeria did not see any building bearing “Dominion Centre International.”

Instead, the offices of Salvation Ministries, Mobile Computer Institute, and the Federal College of Agriculture were detected on the supposed location of the Centre. 

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Archbishop Daniel C. Okoh, has debunked the said petition in a statement sent to PRNigeria via Whatsapp after an enquiry.

He said,” I use this medium to categorically state that the so-called letter of petition reportedly signed by one Pastor Frank Onwumere and addressed to my office is illogical and can best be described as a failed attempt to drag the apex Christian body into the politics of 2023. However, we will investigate the source of the letter in the interest of the public.

“To set the records straight, I am not aware of any N2bn given to Churches in Nigeria to mobilize votes for any 2023 presidential candidate and never received the said petition dated December 22, 2022.”

Meanwhile, through an online search, PRNigeria discovered that the former Chairman of Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, Frank Onwumere has falsified the petition, saying “I am not a member of Dominion Centre International and I have never had any relationship with the organization.” 

“I wish to use this medium to inform the public, my associates, friends and family, that I, Hon. Pastor Frank Alozie Onwumere, did not author the said petition and did not authorize anybody to do so on my behalf.”

Conclusion: facts gathered by PRNigeria show that Dominion Centre International does not exist on any known public record. 

Therefore, PRNigeria, concludes that the claim that one pastor Frank Onwumere has petitioned the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, over the N2 billion campaign grant given by the presidential candidate for Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi is FALSE. 

By PRNigeria