ABUJA, Nigeria — Members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) delivered a candid assessment of the country's economic, security, and political challenges to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but the head of state made it clear that he disagreed with the bishops' diagnosis, according to Cardinal John Onaiyekan.
Speaking to ARISE NEWS on July 31, Onaiyekan said the president responded directly to the concerns raised by the Catholic bishops during a July 28 meeting at the State House in Abuja and made it clear that he did not share their assessment of the situation in the country.
The cardinal said the CBCN members nevertheless considered it their responsibility to speak honestly about the realities facing Nigerians.
"When the nation is bleeding, you cannot expect a polite meeting with the head of state," Onaiyekan said.
He explained that while the bishops told Tinubu that the economy was failing to adequately support poor Nigerians, the president maintained that the economy was doing well.
"Frankly speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us," the cardinal said.
Bishops' message was widely consulted
Onaiyekan emphasized that the statement presented to Tinubu was not the opinion of a handful of bishops but the outcome of extensive consultation within CBCN members.
The Nigerian cardinal, who retired from his episcopal ministry as archbishop of Abuja in November 2019, said the document had been written, reviewed, and corrected before being presented to the president.
"It was not done at random, nor did we deliver it with levity. As bishops, we have no ambitions to take Mr. Tinubu's job or anybody else's job. We are not politicians running for office," the cardinal said.
Rather, he explained, the CBCN members see it as part of their responsibility as religious leaders to address issues affecting both Catholics and the wider Nigerian population.
"We feel we have a duty — not just to preach our religious doctrines, but also to address the lives of our people, both those who are our members and those who are not," he said.
Bishops had a duty to tell the president the truth
Onaiyekan said he was not surprised that Tinubu appeared unhappy while listening to the bishops' presentation, arguing that they deliberately chose to communicate the realities they see among Nigerians rather than offer the president a favorable picture.
"We knew that this is different from the kind of statements that our president keeps receiving from all kinds of people," he said.
The 82-year-old archbishop emeritus of Abuja expressed concern that some people around the president may be giving him an overly positive assessment of the situation in Nigeria.
"We felt that we have a duty not to do that. Indeed, we have the obligation to help him appreciate the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves," the cardinal said.
Despite the disagreement, Onaiyekan said the bishops were encouraged by the fact that the president responded to the issues they raised, indicating that he had heard their concerns.
"He heard it, and he tried to tell us that he heard us, which is precisely why he replied the way he replied," he said.
The cardinal expressed hope that people close to the president would encourage him to reflect further on the bishops' concerns.
"We believe one of the problems within our government right now is that there are not too many people telling him the truth," he said.
Bishops warn against one-party dominance
Onaiyekan also defended the bishops' warning about what they described as the "creeping danger" of a one-party dominant state in Nigeria.
He said the concern was linked to the conduct of elections and the growing use of the powers of incumbency, stressing that electoral victory should not be pursued at the expense of democratic principles.
The cardinal questioned the notion that "in politics, all is fair," saying that political competition must remain subject to standards of propriety.
"If that is what politics is — that in politics everything can be done provided you win elections — that is certainly not correct," he said.
He warned that if Nigeria failed to reform its electoral system to guarantee free, fair, and credible elections, the country could face serious difficulties.
"We warned that the country doesn't gain anything by a one-party state in a so-called democracy," the cardinal said.
He clarified that the bishops were not asking Tinubu to assist opposition parties in defeating his administration but were insisting that the president should be treated as a candidate like any other during elections despite the advantages of incumbency.
Onaiyekan questions INEC's independence
Responding to Tinubu's defense of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Onaiyekan questioned whether the electoral body can be perceived as fully independent under Nigeria's current appointment system.
The cardinal noted that the president appoints the chairman, members, and commissioners of INEC, arguing that this arrangement creates doubts about the commission's impartiality.
"The presumption is that Mr. President will appoint independent, impartial, wonderful people. But on the ground, we see that standard politicians and members of his party are appointed," he said.
Onaiyekan called for consideration of a system in which members of the electoral commission would be selected by a genuinely independent body.
He said such reforms are possible and have been implemented elsewhere.
The cardinal also challenged Tinubu to live up to his reputation as a pro-democracy figure by strengthening institutions that guarantee credible elections.
"You have a reputation to be a democrat, and you can't under your watch watch our democratic structures disintegrate," he said.
Bishops united despite political differences
Onaiyekan insisted that the CBCN members were not acting at the behest of any political party. He acknowledged that individual bishops may have their own political preferences but said they were united in addressing issues affecting the welfare of Nigerians.
"When it comes to what is important for Nigeria, when it comes to our existential existence, when it comes to the life of our people, we are united," he said.
According to the cardinal, the bishops believe Nigerians deserve better in terms of economic well-being, security, and governance.
Cardinal defends National Peace Committee
The cardinal, who is involved in Nigeria's National Peace Committee, also defended the relevance of the body ahead of the forthcoming Osun state governorship election.
While acknowledging concerns that political actors sometimes sign peace accords and subsequently fail to respect their commitments, he said the committee remains useful and should be strengthened.
"My own conclusion is that it is useful, and we must find a way of reviving it," he said.
'We have delivered our message'
Despite the disagreement between CBCN members and Tinubu, Onaiyekan said the Catholic Church had fulfilled its responsibility by bringing the concerns of Nigerians directly to the head of state.
"We have delivered our message, and we are quite convinced that it will not go for nothing," he said.
The cardinal expressed hope that the bishops' intervention would eventually contribute to changes in Nigeria's political, economic, and security landscape.
"At least we have expressed the feelings of many Nigerians who have no way of meeting Mr. President," he said.
"We knew that this is different from the kind of statements that our president keeps receiving from all kinds of people," he said.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News English.
