Presidency Fires Back At Onaiyekan, Says Cardinal’s Comments Were Political

The Presidency has dismissed recent comments by Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, on the Tinubu administration and the 2027 general election, describing them as political rather than spiritual.

Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, made the remarks on Saturday in a post on his X handle while responding to the Cardinal’s concerns that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was bent on winning the 2027 election “by all means.”

Cardinal Onaiyekan had, during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Friday, expressed fears that the credibility of future elections could be undermined if Nigeria failed to reform its electoral system. He also questioned the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite President Tinubu’s assurances regarding the electoral body’s independence.

The cleric warned that the administration appeared determined to retain power at all costs, arguing that the deployment of the advantages of incumbency could erode public confidence in the electoral process.

Reacting, Bwala argued that Onaiyekan was expressing a political opinion that did not represent the views of all Christians in Nigeria.

“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians; he was speaking for Catholics,” Bwala wrote, alleging that the Catholic institution was rooting for Nigeria Democratic Congress( NDC)presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He further claimed that not all Catholics supported Obi, adding that the Cardinal was being “more political than spiritual.”

The presidential aide also defended President Tinubu’s response to criticisms of his administration’s economic performance, insisting that the President was entitled to disagree with the Cardinal’s assertions based on “facts, statistics and numbers put into context.”

“The President was well within his right to disagree with their assertion as regards Nigeria’s economy based purely on facts, statistics and numbers put into context,” he stated.

Bwala further contended that religious leaders often encourage adherents to speak positively despite difficult circumstances, saying it was ironic for the Cardinal to criticise the government’s economic narrative.

“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,” he said.

He also maintained that there was “a body comprising all Christians, including the Catholics and Catholic Bishops Conference,” whose position, according to him, should remain neutral.

“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,” Bwala added.

Cardinal Onaiyekan had also cautioned against the emergence of a one-party state, stressing that while it was not the President’s responsibility to help the opposition, it was important to ensure that elections remained free, fair and credible so that the votes of Nigerians would count.