On April 30, 2021, the presidency had issued a statement to say the priest, who has been a supporter of President Buhari, turned against the president recently because he was refused juicy federal government contracts. "Here is the point of departure: Father Mbaka asked for a meeting and to the shock of presidential aides, he came accompanied by three contractors. The president graciously allowed them in, and to everyone’s surprise, Father Mbaka asked for contracts as compensation for his support," Garba Shehu, the president's spokesperson, wrote in the statement. "Inside the Villa, discretion prevailed, that if those pictures and requests were made public, the followers will turn against the religious leader. None of it was released. Now, this is what is eating Father Mbaka," the statement concluded.