Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Presidency over its response to recent comments by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, describing the government’s remarks as an attack on one of the country’s most respected moral institutions.
Atiku also called on the Presidency to issue an immediate and unconditional apology to Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, as well as the Catholic faithful across the country, arguing that the government’s reaction was “arrogant, disrespectful and unbecoming of a democratic administration.”
In a statement released on Sunday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president accused the Tinubu administration of choosing political attacks instead of engaging with the concerns raised by the Catholic bishops regarding the state of the nation.
According to Atiku, rather than addressing the issues highlighted by the clerics, the Presidency resorted to attempts to intimidate and discredit respected religious leaders who had exercised their moral responsibility by speaking on national affairs.
He described the Catholic Church as one of Nigeria’s enduring moral voices, noting that its bishops and priests have consistently defended the interests of the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed regardless of the political party in power.
“Their duty is not to flatter those in authority but to speak truth to power,” Atiku stated, commending the bishops for what he described as their courage in openly expressing concerns about Nigeria’s economic and political challenges.
He further urged religious leaders across different faiths and denominations to emulate the Catholic bishops by speaking out whenever the national interest demands it.
The former vice president also defended Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to grant a television interview following the bishops’ meeting with President Bola Tinubu. He argued that the cleric merely sought to present an accurate account of events after what he described as attempts by the Presidency to shape public perception of the engagement.
According to Atiku, the Cardinal’s comments were intended to place the facts before Nigerians and should not have attracted what he termed “vile, uncouth and disrespectful” reactions from the President’s media aides.
He accused the Presidency of selectively presenting details of the meeting in a bid to undermine the credibility and moral authority of the Catholic bishops.
Atiku further warned against what he described as the government’s growing intolerance of independent voices, insisting that democracy cannot thrive where citizens, religious leaders and civil society organisations are attacked for expressing opinions that differ from those of the government.
“The Presidency is not a secret cult where only approved voices are permitted to speak. In a constitutional democracy, no one requires permission from Aso Rock to tell the truth about the state of the nation,” he said.
In a pointed reference to the controversy surrounding clerics who attended President Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, Atiku said the administration appeared to believe that all religious leaders could be enlisted for political purposes.
He maintained that Catholic bishops are different because they are guided by a moral obligation to speak truth to power rather than serve as political supporters or praise singers for any government.
The former vice president argued that criticising respected clerics would neither erase the economic hardship facing Nigerians nor absolve the government of responsibility for the country’s challenges.
According to him, the bishops merely echoed the concerns millions of Nigerians discuss daily regarding hunger, insecurity, unemployment, rising poverty and the escalating cost of living.
He added that governments build greater public confidence by responding constructively to criticism instead of attacking those who express opposing views.
Reiterating his call for an apology, Atiku said the Presidency owed Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Catholic Church and millions of Catholic faithful an immediate and unreserved apology.
He argued that the criticism directed at the clerics represented not only an attack on respected religious leaders but also an affront to one of Nigeria’s most credible moral institutions.
According to him, until such an apology is offered, the Tinubu administration would continue to face accusations of arrogance, intolerance and disregard for independent voices in the country’s democratic space.
