Bayo Onanuga, Atiku Abubakar
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Nigerian Presidency of being more comfortable with “fake bishops” than independent religious leaders who speak truth to power.
Reacting to the Presidency’s criticism of John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the Tinubu administration resorted to intimidation and political attacks instead of addressing the concerns raised by the Catholic Church.
He argued that the Presidency appeared to assume that every cleric could be recruited into political propaganda, recalling the controversy over the presence of individuals widely described as “fake bishops” during the 2023 election campaign.
“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,” Atiku stated.
The former Vice President said the Catholic Church has consistently served as a moral voice for the poor and vulnerable, irrespective of the government in power, and commended Catholic bishops for candidly presenting the country’s challenges during their recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
According to Atiku, the Presidency’s reaction to Cardinal Onaiyekan’s comments was arrogant and amounted to an attempt to distort what transpired at the meeting by selectively reframing the bishops’ message to favour the government.
He maintained that Cardinal Onaiyekan merely clarified the discussions after the meeting, insisting that the cleric’s comments reflected the daily realities of hunger, insecurity, poverty, unemployment and the rising cost of living confronting Nigerians.
“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,” he added.
Atiku called on the Presidency to apologise to the Catholic Church, Cardinal Onaiyekan and Catholic faithful across Nigeria, warning that the administration would continue to face accusations of intolerance and arrogance if it persisted in attacking respected religious leaders instead of addressing the issues they raised.
