Reverend Father Hycainth Alia has been suspended by the Catholic Diocese of Gboko in Benue State for displaying interest in the state's governorship election.
Alia is one of the 12 governorship candidates that purchased APC expression of interest and candidacy forms in order to compete in the party's primary election.
Bishop William Avenya, who is also Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Kastina-Ala, stated in a viral suspension letter addressed to all priests, religious, and laity of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, dated May 20, 2022, and signed by the Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Gboko, that the affected priest was previously warned in accordance with the church's partisan politics rule.
According to the letter,
"I am writing to inform you that my priest, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Iornem Alia, has been suspended from public ministry following a series of admonitions.
Ex can. 285, 3 CIC, the mother church forbids her clerics from participating in partisan politics on their own. You are aware that my son, your brother, and your priest have acquired the party's nomination form to run for governor of Benue State under the All Progressives Congress, a party that is normally hostile to our vocation.
As a result, in order to respond to the church's spiritual and pastoral needs in the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, I have suspended him from sacred ministry. This canonical suspension begins the instant it is communicated to him and continues until he is no longer in contumacy."
Kula Tersoo, Head of Media and Publicity for Alia 2023 Gubernatorial Organization, responded to the suspension by saying it was standard church procedure.
He clarified that, as indicated in the letter of suspension, Alia was only barred from celebrating public Eucharistic masses, but that he remains a priest of the Catholic Church in perpetuity, and that when his public civil service contract expires, he will resume his public mass and ministry.