Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Presidency over its remarks about the Catholic Church and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, describing the comments as an attack on one of Nigeria’s most respected moral institutions and evidence of the Tinubu administration’s growing intolerance of opposing views.
Atiku called for an immediate and unconditional apology to the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal Onaiyekan, as well as the Catholic faithful, saying the Presidency’s reaction to the cleric’s comments was disrespectful, arrogant and unworthy of a democratic government.
His position was contained in a statement released on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
According to Atiku, rather than reflecting on the concerns raised by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria about the country’s situation, the Presidency resorted to political attacks and attempts to discredit respected religious leaders.
He argued that instead of addressing the issues highlighted by the bishops, government officials chose intimidation and ridicule.
“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,” the statement read.
The former vice president described the Catholic Church as one of Nigeria’s enduring moral voices, noting that its bishops and priests have consistently defended the poor, vulnerable and oppressed, regardless of which administration 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 said.
Atiku also praised the Catholic bishops for what he described as their courage in openly expressing concerns about Nigeria’s economic and political conditions.
“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.
“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.
Defending Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to journalists after the meeting, Atiku said the cleric merely sought to present the facts after what he described as the Presidency’s attempt to shape public perception.
“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,” he stated.
Atiku further accused the Presidency of trying to weaken the credibility of the Catholic bishops by selectively presenting details of their engagement with President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the government’s media team attempted to rewrite the narrative by editing and reframing the meeting in a way that favoured the administration.
“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.
The former vice president also criticised what he described as the administration’s intolerance of independent opinions, warning that democracy cannot thrive where citizens, religious leaders and civil society groups are attacked for expressing dissenting views.
“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 said.
Referring to the controversy surrounding clerics who attended President Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, Atiku suggested the government wrongly assumed all religious leaders could be drawn into political messaging.
“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 maintained that attacking respected clerics would not erase the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians or absolve the government of responsibility.
He said Cardinal Onaiyekan merely echoed concerns that many Nigerians discuss daily, including hunger, insecurity, rising poverty, unemployment and the worsening cost-of-living crisis.
“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.
He added that governments earn greater public trust by responding to criticism with openness rather than hostility.
“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 said.
The Wazirin Adamawa concluded by renewing his call for the Presidency to apologise to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Catholic Church and millions of Catholic faithful across the country.
“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,” the statement added.
