The General Overseer of the World Wide Mantle Assembly in Nigeria, Apostle Ekapong Ubi, has threatened to drag to court the masterminds of the inclusion of his name among Christian leaders who graced the unveiling of Senator Kashim Shetima as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Recall that the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) had, few weeks ago, taken a position against the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the APC, but on Wednesday evening, 26 names, said to be Bishops, Apostles and other Church leaders, surfaced on the internet as those who graced the Senator Shetima’s unveiling.
But, in a chat with Blueprint in his residence in Calabar, Thursday morning, the Cross River-born Apostle Ubi expressed surprised that his name was included in an event that he was neither aware of nor invited, disclosing that he had already briefed his lawyers to investigate those behind the anomaly with the view to seeking legal redress to what he described as malicious defamation.
“I am Apostle Ekapong Ubi Ofem from Yakurr local government area of Cross River state. To put the record straight, I never attended any meeting or unveiling of anyone, nor was any invitation given to me as regards any form of event in Abuja. I have not travelled out of this State since January.
“I am not aware of the unveiling of the APC presidential running mate. I wonder how my name appeared in Abuja as one of the men of God who attended that event. It is disheartening how people could go that length to destroy someone’s image. This is a pure case of malicious defamation.
“Since yesterday night, I have received almost 80 calls from all over Nigeria and even Togo where the headquarters of World Wide Mantle Assembly is. One of my close friends had alerted me of this evil by forwarding to me the viral list of the so-called men of God who purportedly attended the said event. It was from a Facebook page of one Emmanuel.
“I have told the said Emmanuel to send an apology letter to me within three days and publish the same in seven newspapers in Nigeria else he should prepare to meet me in court.
“I have also directed my lawyers to investigate how my name appeared in that list. I tell you the truth, whosoever, whether the party or individuals, who masterminded this deceit would have to explain it to Nigerians in court.
“I have called some of the owners of the phone numbers in that mischievous list and those I spoke with also disclaimed their alleged involvement in the said unveiling. I am hereby calling on security agencies to investigate this affront on Christianity and arrest those who perpetrated such evil acts,” the obviously angry Apostle Ubi stated.