The Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu rejected concerns raised by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) over the state of the economy and security during a recent meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Speaking during an interview on Prime Time on Arise News on Friday, Onaiyekan said the bishops spoke frankly about the hardships facing Nigerians when they met with the President on July 28.
According to him, Tinubu disagreed with their assessment and insisted that his administration was making progress.
“When the nation is bleeding, you cannot expect a polite meeting with the Head of State. We told him the economy is not helping our poor people; he told us the economy is doing fine. Frankly speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” Onaiyekan said.
The cleric explained that the bishops never expected the President to immediately agree with their position, saying their responsibility was simply to present the reality facing ordinary Nigerians.
“We didn’t expect him to agree with us. We have done our duty, we have delivered our message, and we have a feeling that somehow, along the line, somebody will show him a few of the things we said,” he added.
Onaiyekan stressed that the views presented during the meeting reflected the collective position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference after wide consultations across the country. He said the bishops had no political ambitions and were only carrying out their moral duty to speak on issues affecting the lives of Nigerians.
“We are not politicians running for office. We are religious leaders who feel we have a duty not just to preach our doctrines but also to address the lives of our people,” he said.
He noted that the bishops deliberately chose to present the country’s challenges instead of giving the President a favourable picture, adding that they were encouraged that Tinubu listened and responded directly to the issues they raised.
The archbishop, however, expressed concern that too few people within government were willing to tell the President the truth, describing the situation as one of the country’s biggest challenges.
On the political climate, Onaiyekan defended the bishops’ warning against what they described as the growing danger of a one-party dominant state. He argued that democracy could only thrive where elections were credible and all political parties had a level playing field.
He also questioned the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying doubts would remain as long as the commission’s leadership continued to be appointed by the President. He called for electoral reforms that would strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
During the meeting with the bishops, President Tinubu defended his administration’s record, insisting that Nigeria had made significant progress in tackling economic and security challenges.
“I can tell you categorically with sincerity that the country has been placed on a sound footing. The economy has recovered. The alarm for bankruptcy and dark tunnel of uncertainty that we had when I came in has been changed,” Tinubu said.
“The spirit of the people is lifting, and the economic turmoil that we feared is cleared. The economy has been delivered from bankruptcy.”
The President also assured the bishops that ongoing reforms in the security sector would lead to victory over terrorism, banditry and kidnapping. He said his administration had approved the expansion of the armed forces, was acquiring more equipment, constructing new barracks and improving intelligence gathering and the welfare of security personnel.
“We will defeat terrorism. It should be part of your sermons,” Tinubu told the religious leaders.
On preparations for the 2027 general election, the President maintained that INEC remained impartial.
“The opportunities are equal. INEC is neutral. They have never intimidated anyone. If political opponents are crying wolf, maybe they are afraid of their own shadows and uncertainty in the companies they keep, not me,” he said.
Despite their differences over the state of the economy and governance, Onaiyekan said the bishops remained united in their belief that Nigerians deserved better and urged the government to focus more on addressing the country’s pressing challenges than celebrating its achievements.
