Soludo, Other Governors, Top Clerics ‘Killing Christianity in Eastern Nigeria,’ Intersociety Alleges

By Tony Okafor, Awka

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has raised alarm over what it describes as the “deliberate political marginalization of Christianity” by governors in Eastern Nigeria.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the organization accused the governments of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Edo states—particularly those in Igbo Land—of making the practice of Christianity “slowly and steadily… very difficult.”

The statement, signed by Intersociety officials including Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist-Researcher/Head; Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Human Rights Lawyer/Head of Campaign and Publicity; and Engineer Ekene Bede Umeagu, Head of Right Freedom of Religion and Worship, specifically condemned the continuation of public school classes in Anambra State into the Holy Week and the failure to close on Friday, March 27, 2026, ahead of the Good Friday national public holiday.

“Governor Soludo and other Eastern Governors, aided by top clerics, are undermining the practice and preservation of Christianity through intensification and escalation of religiously unfriendly policies,” the society stated.

“The most saddening part is that these governors… are not alone, but aided by episcopal leaders of the frontline churches… by way of conspiracy of silence and materialistic Christianity.”

Intersociety noted that four of the five South-East governors are Catholics, while one is a Seventh Day Adventist, yet their administrations allegedly favour other religious practices over Christianity.

The society also highlighted the historical roots of Christianity in the region, citing the Anglican Onitsha Expedition of 1857 and the Catholic Onitsha RCM Expedition of 1885.

It emphasized the establishment of major ecclesiastical seats in Anambra State, including the All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Onitsha, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha—the latter serving as the seat of the Onitsha Metropolitan Archdiocese overseeing nine dioceses.

According to the statement, the continuation of public school classes during Holy Week deprived Christian schoolchildren and state civil service teachers of opportunities to participate in essential spiritual observances, such as the Chrism Mass, Holy Thursday services, and other moral and spiritual activities.

“This is a failure to respect and protect the religious rights of the Christian majority, which constitutes over 95 percent of the population in Eastern Nigeria,” the statement added.

The organization called on the Anambra State government, led by Governor Charles Soludo, an acclaimed Catholic, to respect the spiritual and moral needs of Christians, particularly during sacred periods like Good Friday and Easter.