The Northern Christian Association (NCA), Atiku Abubakar, and Senator Shehu Sani have thrown their weight behind the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) following the Presidency’s backlash against Cardinal John Onaiyekan.
The former Archbishop of Abuja had, in an Arise TV interview last Friday, said Nigerians were battling severe economic hardship under President Bola Tinubu’s policies and accused the administration of growing increasingly intolerant of dissent. He also claimed Tinubu was not getting accurate briefings on the country’s true state and was determined to win the 2027 election “by all means,” warning that government control of state resources could undermine the credibility of the polls.
His comments came days after CBCN bishops met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, hit back on X, dismissing Onaiyekan’s remarks as politically motivated and arguing that the cardinal spoke only for Catholics, not all Christians, calling him “more political than spiritual.”
NCA accuses Bwala of sowing division
Reacting in a statement, NCA chairman Rev. Joseph Hayab accused Bwala of trying to divide the Christian community, insisting the bishops spoke for all Christians and all Nigerians, not just Catholics.
Hayab noted that the NCA brings together Catholics, Baptists, ECWA, Methodists, Anglicans and Pentecostals across Northern Nigeria.
“We should tell Bwala to know that Catholics are Christians and Nigerians. Our members are Catholics, Baptists, ECWA, Methodists, Anglicans, Pentecostals and people of all denominations. We refuse to be divided by Bwala’s politics of division,” he said.
He described the Presidency’s attack on Onaiyekan as “shameful and a disservice” to Tinubu, insisting the bishops had only offered sincere counsel for the country’s good. He further warned that government officials who peddle propaganda instead of confronting Nigeria’s problems were harming the nation.
“Any voice of greed, propaganda or disconnect with the citizens by any government appointee like Bwala should be seen as those destroying the country for their selfish interest, not minding the larger population,” Hayab said, adding that hardship would ultimately affect everyone regardless of political affiliation “if things do not improve.”
He urged public officeholders to engage constructively with concerns raised by religious leaders rather than issue divisive statements.
Atiku: Presidency chose intimidation over reflection
In a statement by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Presidency opted for intimidation and political attacks rather than reflecting on the substance of Onaiyekan’s message, adding that Tinubu and his aides at the meeting were visibly unhappy with a speech that departed from what the president was used to hearing.
The Presidency had earlier accused Onaiyekan and the Catholic Church of working in the interest of Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
Atiku pushed back, contrasting the independence of Catholic bishops with what he called the government’s habit of surrounding itself with compliant clerics ahead of the 2023 polls.
“Perhaps the Presidency has become so accustomed to inviting ‘fake bishops’ that it now assumes every cleric can be recruited into political propaganda. But Catholic bishops are different. They are not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers. They are shepherds with a moral obligation to speak truth to power, regardless of whose interests are bruised. They cannot be used,” he said.
He praised the Catholic Church’s historical role as a moral voice for the poor, describing the Presidency’s response as arrogant and accusing government communicators of selectively editing the bishops’ engagement with Tinubu to manufacture a favourable narrative — which he said prompted Onaiyekan’s decision to set the record straight publicly.
“A government confident in its record welcomes criticism because it provides an opportunity for reflection and improvement. Only an insecure government wages war against honest voices, while rewarding those who tell it only what it wants to hear,” Atiku said.
He insisted the cardinal’s remarks merely reflected the everyday realities of hunger, insecurity, poverty and unemployment facing Nigerians, and demanded an apology from the Presidency to the Catholic Church, Onaiyekan and Catholic faithful nationwide.
Shehu Sani: Bishops have always spoken truth to power
Also weighing in, Shehu Sani said the Catholic Bishops have a long history of speaking truth to power without partisanship, dating back to military rule.
“From the era of military rule and throughout the period of civilian governments, the Catholic Bishops have a consistent history of telling truth to power,” he wrote on X, adding that the bishops had never shown bias toward any administration.
Sani illustrated their independence with a cultural reference, noting that the bishops traditionally present presidents with a symbolic gift signaling plain speaking rather than flattery.
READ ALSO:
- UK Radio Station Sanctioned After Wrongly Declaring King Charles III Dead
- Mr P Appreciates Fans as Zipp Republic’s Red Cap Records Massive Sales
- Suicide Note Found After Law School Student Dies at Victoria Island Hostel
- Comedian Real Warri Pikin Pulls Out of Delta Show Over Identity Dispute
- US Company Unveils T-Shirt That Stays Fresh for 30 Days Without Washing
