Ignore Onaiyekan, He Doesn’t Speak For All Nigerian Christians, Says Presidency

The Presidency has dismissed recent comments by the 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.

The 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 determined to win the 2027 election “by all means.”

Cardinal Onaiyekan, during an appearance on Arise Television’s programme, 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 about the electoral body’s independence.

The cleric warned that the administration appeared determined to retain power at all costs, arguing that the use 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.

According to him, the Cardinal was speaking for Catholics rather than all Christians, and alleged that the Catholic Church had supported Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He, however, added that not all Catholics supported Obi and accused the Cardinal of being “more political than spiritual.”

Bwala also defended President Tinubu’s response to criticism of his administration’s economic performance, insisting that the President was well within his rights to disagree with the Cardinal’s views based on facts, statistics and contextual data.

He further argued that religious leaders often encourage their followers to speak positively despite difficult circumstances, saying it was ironic for the Cardinal to criticise the government’s economic narrative while faith leaders frequently preach optimism even in times of hardship.

The presidential aide also maintained that there was a body representing all Christians, including Catholics and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and said such a body should remain neutral in political matters.

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