Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the Presidency’s criticism of the Catholic Church and former Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, describing it as an attack on one of Nigeria’s most respected moral institutions and a worrying sign of the Tinubu administration’s growing intolerance of dissent.
Atiku also demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from the Presidency to Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic faithful, insisting that the government’s response to the senior cleric’s comments was “arrogant, disrespectful and unbecoming of a democratic government.”
The former vice president made his position known in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
His reaction followed the recent exchange between the Presidency and leaders of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) after the bishops raised concerns about the state of the nation during their meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
The Catholic bishops had expressed concerns over Nigeria’s economic challenges, insecurity, rising poverty and the hardship facing millions of citizens. While acknowledging some government efforts, they urged the administration to take stronger steps to improve the lives of Nigerians.
However, comments made by the Presidency after the meeting sparked controversy, with critics accusing government officials of misrepresenting the views expressed by the bishops and responding disrespectfully to Cardinal Onaiyekan after he granted interviews explaining what transpired during the engagement.
Reacting to the development, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of choosing political attacks instead of reflecting on the issues raised by the Catholic clerics.
According to him, rather than addressing the substance of the bishops’ message, the Presidency resorted to intimidation and attempts to discredit respected religious leaders.
“It was both unfortunate and dangerous that, instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message, the Presidency chose the familiar path of intimidation, ridicule and political attacks,” Atiku said.
He described the Catholic Church as one of Nigeria’s most enduring moral voices, saying its bishops and priests have consistently defended the poor, the oppressed and vulnerable citizens regardless of which political party is in power.
“The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock. Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power,” he stated.
The former vice president praised the Catholic bishops for what he described as their courage in openly discussing the country’s challenges with President Tinubu.
According to him, the clerics fulfilled their moral responsibility by speaking frankly about the realities confronting Nigerians instead of praising those in authority.
“The Catholic bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the president in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation. That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do—not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth,” he said.
Atiku also encouraged other religious leaders across different faiths and denominations to emulate the Catholic bishops by speaking out whenever the national interest requires it.
“We urge other religious leaders, regardless of denomination or faith, to emulate this example by speaking truth to power whenever the nation’s interest demands it,” he added.
The ADC presidential candidate also defended Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to grant interviews after the meeting, arguing that the former Archbishop merely sought to present the facts following what he described as attempts by the Presidency to shape public perception of the engagement.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to the press after the Presidency sought to dominate and distort the public conversation was nothing more than an effort to place the facts on record. Such a responsible act cannot justify the vile, uncouth and disrespectful reaction that followed from Tinubu’s media handlers,” Atiku stated.
He further accused the Presidency of trying to undermine the credibility of the Catholic bishops by selectively presenting details of their meeting with the President.
According to him, government officials attempted to create a narrative favourable to the administration instead of allowing Nigerians to hear the bishops’ concerns in full.
“What the media managers of the Tinubu administration attempted to do was to cancel and overwrite the voices of the revered Catholic bishops by selectively editing and reframing their engagement with the president in order to manufacture a narrative favourable to the government. That cynical exercise amounted to an affront to the integrity, credibility and moral authority of the bishops,” he said.
Atiku also criticised what he described as the government’s intolerance of independent opinions, warning that democracy cannot thrive where citizens, religious leaders and civil society organisations are attacked for expressing views that differ from those of the government.
“The Presidency is not a secret cult where only approved voices are permitted to speak. In a constitutional democracy, no one needs the permission of Aso Rock to tell the truth about the state of the nation,” he noted.
In a pointed reference to the controversy surrounding individuals described as “fake bishops” who attended President Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, Atiku said the administration appeared to believe that all religious leaders could be drawn into political activities.
“Perhaps the Presidency has become so accustomed to inviting ‘fake bishops’ that it now assumes every cleric can be recruited into political propaganda. But Catholic bishops are different. They are not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers. They are shepherds with a moral obligation to speak truth to power, regardless of whose interests are bruised. They cannot be used,” he declared.
Atiku argued that attacking respected clerics would neither erase the economic difficulties facing Nigerians nor free the government from responsibility for addressing the nation’s problems.
According to him, Cardinal Onaiyekan merely echoed concerns that millions of Nigerians discuss daily in their homes, markets, churches and workplaces.
“The cleric merely gave voice to what millions of Nigerians discuss daily in their homes, markets, churches and workplaces. Silencing or attacking him will not erase the harsh realities of hunger, insecurity, rising poverty, unemployment and the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting ordinary citizens,” he said.
The former vice president maintained that governments earn greater public confidence when they respond positively to criticism rather than attacking those who express it.
“A government confident in its record welcomes criticism because it provides an opportunity for reflection and improvement. Only an insecure government wages war against honest voices while rewarding those who tell it only what it wants to hear,” he added.
Atiku concluded by demanding an immediate apology from the Presidency to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Catholic Church and millions of Catholic faithful across Nigeria.
He said the remarks directed at the respected cleric amounted not only to a personal attack but also to an insult against one of the country’s most respected religious institutions.
“The Presidency owes the Catholic Church, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the entire Catholic faithful an immediate and unreserved apology. The reckless assault on respected men of God was not merely an attack on individuals; it was an affront to one of Nigeria’s most credible moral institutions and an insult to millions of faithful Catholics.
“Until that apology is offered, the Tinubu administration will continue to stand accused of arrogance, intolerance and contempt for every independent voice that refuses to sing its praises,” Atiku said.
The latest exchange has added to the growing political debate over the state of the nation, the role of religious leaders in public affairs and the relationship between the Tinubu administration and critics who continue to express concerns over economic hardship, insecurity and governance.