Presidency Says Cardinal Onaiyekan’s Criticism of Tinubu Is Personal Opinion
The Presidency has dismissed recent comments by Cardinal John Onaiyekan criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the cleric was expressing a personal political opinion rather than speaking for all Christians in Nigeria.
Daniel Bwala, the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, made the remarks in a post on his X account on Saturday.
Bwala was reacting to comments made by Onaiyekan after the recent visit of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to President Tinubu.
The cardinal had accused the administration of being more concerned with winning political battles than tackling the country’s economic and security challenges.
Responding, Bwala argued that Onaiyekan was speaking from the perspective of the Catholic Church and not the entire Christian community. He also claimed that many within the Catholic Church supported Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 election.
According to him, the cardinal’s remarks were political rather than spiritual, adding that not all Catholics supported Obi.
Bwala also defended President Tinubu’s response to the bishops’ assessment of the economy, saying the President was entitled to disagree because his position was based on facts, statistics and available data.
He further stated that Nigeria’s Christian community is made up of different denominations, and maintained that religious bodies should remain neutral instead of taking political positions.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan was not speaking for all Christians. He was speaking for Catholics, an institution that largely supported Peter Obi during the 2023 election. His comments are more political than spiritual, and not every Catholic supported Obi,” Bwala said.
He added that President Tinubu was justified in rejecting the bishops’ assessment of the economy because the administration’s position was backed by facts and figures.
Bwala also argued that religious leaders often encourage their members to remain hopeful despite difficult circumstances, saying the same principle should apply when discussing the state of the nation.
He concluded by saying that the broader Christian body in Nigeria, which includes the Catholic Church and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, should maintain political neutrality rather than align with any political interest.
