Atiku faults presidency over response to Catholic bishops, demands apology to Onaiyekan

FORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s media team for attacking Cardinal John Onaiyekan instead of responding to concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) about the country’s economic and social challenges.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Catholic bishops had a long-standing tradition of speaking truth to those in authority and should not be expected to praise governments at the expense of the public interest.

The remarks follow last Tuesday’s meeting between President Tinubu and a delegation of the CBCN led by its president, Matthew Ndagoso, at the State House in Abuja. During the meeting, the bishops highlighted worsening economic hardship and the state of the nation, while the president defended his administration, insisting that the economy was improving and industrial actions by university lecturers had become a thing of the past. Tinubu also maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remained neutral and suggested that his political opponents were troubled by internal uncertainties.

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The controversy intensified after Cardinal Onaiyekan disclosed during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Friday that the bishops had informed the president that Nigeria was ‘bleeding’ and that economic conditions were worsening the plight of ordinary citizens.

Reacting to the interview, Special Adviser to the President on Communication, Daniel Bwala, argued that Onaiyekan’s comments did not reflect the views of all Christians. He also alleged that the Catholic Church was supporting the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Peter Obi.

Atiku, however, defended the bishops, saying they deserved commendation for candidly conveying the realities facing Nigerians. He described the presidency’s response to Onaiyekan as disrespectful and inappropriate, accusing government spokespersons of trying to undermine the moral authority of the Catholic Church by reshaping the narrative from the meeting.

According to him, Onaiyekan merely sought to set the record straight after what he described as efforts by the presidency to dominate public discourse on the meeting. He argued that responding with personal attacks instead of engaging the issues raised only weakened the government’s position.

The former vice-president further maintained that the presidency owed both the Catholic Church and Cardinal Onaiyekan an immediate and unconditional apology over what he described as an unwarranted attack on the cleric.