The Northern Christian Association (NCA), the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Senator Shehu Sani have defended the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) following criticism over comments made by former Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.
The controversy followed the bishops’ meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday. Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Cardinal Onaiyekan said many Nigerians were facing severe economic hardship as a result of government policies.
He also alleged that the Tinubu administration was becoming increasingly intolerant of dissent and unwilling to accept uncomfortable truths. The cardinal further claimed that the President might not be receiving accurate information about conditions in the country and warned that attempts to secure victory in the 2027 general elections “by all means” could undermine confidence in the electoral process because of the government’s access to state resources.
Presidency rejects Onaiyekan’s claims
Reacting to the interview, the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, defended President Tinubu and described the cardinal’s comments as politically motivated.
Bwala argued that Onaiyekan was speaking only for Catholics and not for all Christians, adding that the cleric appeared to be “more political than spiritual.”
NCA accuses Bwala of trying to divide Christians
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Northern Christian Association strongly defended the Catholic bishops and accused Bwala of attempting to create division within the Christian community.
NCA Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab, said the bishops were speaking not only about matters affecting the Catholic Church but also about issues concerning Christians and Nigerians generally. He insisted that their intervention was in the national interest.
Hayab stressed that the NCA includes members from several Christian denominations in Northern Nigeria, including the Catholic Church, Baptist, ECWA, Methodist, Anglican and Pentecostal churches.
According to him, Catholics are both Christians and Nigerians, and the association would not allow political actors to set one denomination against another.
He said Cardinal Onaiyekan and the bishops deserved respect because they met the President to discuss humanitarian issues and national challenges affecting all citizens, not just Catholics.
“Honest counsel should not be insulted”
The cleric described it as shameful and a disservice to President Tinubu for a government spokesperson to attack the cardinal. He maintained that the bishops merely offered sincere advice intended to help the administration address the country’s difficulties.
Hayab also criticised what he called a growing tendency among some government officials to dismiss legitimate concerns raised by religious leaders and other stakeholders.
He warned that appointees who rely on propaganda rather than confronting the realities facing Nigerians are harming the country and that if the nation’s problems remain unresolved, all citizens will eventually suffer regardless of political affiliation.
The NCA chairman reaffirmed the association’s confidence in the Catholic bishops, describing them as patriotic leaders committed to Nigeria’s progress.
Atiku says Presidency chose intimidation
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the Presidency responded with intimidation and political attacks instead of addressing the substance of Cardinal Onaiyekan’s message.
According to Atiku, President Tinubu and other officials present at the meeting with the bishops did not appear pleased with the speech delivered, suggesting that it differed from the kind of message the President was accustomed to hearing.
He also alleged that the Presidency accused Onaiyekan and the Catholic Church of supporting Peter Obi, whom he described as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Catholic bishops are not political props”
Atiku argued that the government’s reaction reflected a tendency to surround itself with compliant clerics, contrasting this with what he described as the independence of Catholic bishops.
He said Catholic bishops are not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers, but religious leaders with a moral duty to speak truth to those in power regardless of whose interests are affected.
The former vice president added that the Catholic Church has historically served as a moral voice for the poor and vulnerable, irrespective of the government in office, and commended the bishops for speaking directly to President Tinubu.
Atiku further described the Presidency’s criticism of Cardinal Onaiyekan as arrogant and unbecoming of a democratic government, accusing officials of attempting to misrepresent the cleric’s engagement with the President.
