Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Presidency’s response to comments by John Cardinal Onaiyekan, accusing the Tinubu administration of attacking the Catholic Church instead of addressing the concerns raised about Nigeria’s condition.
In a statement released on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the government’s reaction focused on intimidation and political criticism rather than engaging with the issues highlighted by the cardinal.
The controversy followed a recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Catholic bishops, where the President defended his administration’s record and spoke on issues including economic management and the independence of the electoral commission.
During a television interview on Friday, Cardinal Onaiyekan revealed that the bishops told President Tinubu that the country was “bleeding” and that worsening economic conditions were increasing the hardship experienced by Nigerians. He said the President and members of his team appeared uncomfortable with the frank assessment, describing it as a message they were not used to receiving.
The Presidency later criticised the cardinal’s remarks, alleging that he and the Catholic Church were supporting Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate.
Responding to the criticism, Atiku accused the government of misunderstanding the role of Catholic bishops, arguing that they cannot be manipulated for political purposes.
“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,” Atiku said.
He described the Catholic Church as a consistent voice for the poor and vulnerable across different administrations and praised the bishops for directly presenting their concerns to the President.
Atiku also condemned the Presidency’s criticism of Cardinal Onaiyekan, describing it as arrogant and inappropriate while accusing government officials of attempting to distort the purpose of the cleric’s engagement with President Tinubu.
