The Presidency has criticised the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, over comments made after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, insisting the bishops are not the sole voice on Nigeria’s condition.
In separate statements issued on Saturday, presidential aides Temitope Ajayi and Daniel Bwala defended Tinubu’s response to concerns raised by the bishops over the economy, insecurity and governance.
The reaction followed Onaiyekan’s interview on Friday, during which he disclosed details of the July 28 meeting between President Tinubu and a delegation of the Catholic Bishops at the Presidential Villa.
During the interview, the cardinal said the bishops presented a carefully prepared document highlighting worsening economic hardship, insecurity and democratic challenges, but the President disagreed with their assessment.
“The Bishops’ Conference produced that document. It was written, rewritten and corrected. So it was not done at random,” Onaiyekan said.
He maintained that the bishops had no political ambitions and were only fulfilling their moral responsibility to speak on issues affecting Nigerians.
“We are not politicians running for office. We are religious leaders who feel we have a duty not just to preach our doctrines but also to address the lives of our people.”
Onaiyekan said the delegation deliberately presented what it believed reflected the realities facing Nigerians rather than offering a flattering assessment of the country.
“We told him the economy is not helping our poor people; he told us the economy is doing fine.”
He also suggested the President was unhappy with the concerns raised and warned that many people around Tinubu were presenting an overly optimistic picture of the nation’s situation.
Responding, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the bishops’ assessment represented only one perspective and should not be treated as unquestionable.
He said President Tinubu listened to the delegation respectfully before responding with facts on the administration’s policies and achievements.
Ajayi pointed to improvements in salary and pension payments, fiscal stability and ongoing economic reforms, arguing that while challenges remain, the country has recorded measurable progress.
He also rejected suggestions that the President was disconnected from the realities facing Nigerians, noting that Tinubu receives daily intelligence briefings, reads newspapers and consults widely on national issues.
According to Ajayi, it was inappropriate to suggest that only the Catholic Bishops could accurately reflect the country’s mood.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, also criticised Onaiyekan’s comments, alleging that politics influenced the cardinal’s position.
Bwala claimed the Catholic Church supported Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 election and argued that Onaiyekan’s remarks should be viewed within that context.
He further defended Tinubu’s right to reject the bishops’ assessment, saying the President based his position on available data and official statistics.
Meanwhile, Bishop Matthew Kukah, who was part of the delegation, declined to comment further on the meeting.
Also reacting, Lagos Central Senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Ladipo Johnson, criticised President Tinubu’s remarks suggesting Nigerians facing hardship should seek support from churches.
Johnson described the statement as insensitive and accused the President of failing to provide leadership in addressing the country’s economic challenges.
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