Presidency says Cardinal Onaiyekan speaks personally, not for all Christians

The Presidency has rejected recent remarks by Cardinal John Onaiyekan criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the Catholic cleric was voicing a personal and political view rather than representing Nigeria’s broader Christian community.Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, made the comments in a post on his X account on Saturday, 1 August 2026. His response followed Onaiyekan’s criticism of the government after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) visited the President.The cardinal had accused the administration of prioritising victory “by all means” over tackling the nation’s challenges.Bwala countered that Onaiyekan was speaking for the Catholic Church, not all Christians, and alleged that the institution largely supported Labour Party candidate Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election. He noted, however, that not every Catholic backed Obi.Bwala described the cardinal’s comments as more political than spiritual. He defended President Tinubu’s right to reject the bishops’ assessment of the economy, saying the government’s position rests on “facts, statistics and numbers.”“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians, he was speaking for Catholics, the very institutions rooting for Peter Obi,” Bwala wrote. “In fact, likely the institution where Peter Obi also said in 2022 ‘take back your country’. Therefore, Cardinal is more political than spiritual. And not all Catholic members are supporting Peter Obi.“The president was well within his right to disagree with their assertion as regards Nigeria’s economy based purely on facts, stats and numbers factored into context.“Ironically, the same priest would rebuke their members if the members said ‘we are suffering or we are poor’ they would tell them to rather say ‘we are doing great’ or ‘we are rich’ even when they are suffering or poor.“There is a body comprising all Christians including the Catholics and Catholic Bishops Conference and that body’s position is neutral and should be so, otherwise it is political.”    

The Presidency has dismissed comments by Cardinal John Onaiyekan criticising the administration of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the Catholic cleric was expressing a personal and political opinion rather than speaking on behalf of Christians in Nigeria. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, made the remarks in a post on his […] Onaiyekan not speaking for Christians, Catholics supporting Peter Obi – Presidency