Presidency Faults Onaiyekan Over Tinubu Meeting Disclosure

The Presidency has pushed back against Cardinal John Onaiyekan after he publicly recounted details of a closed-door meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Catholic bishops.

The response follows earlier comments by Onaiyekan about the bishops’ meeting with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. NaijaTrend earlier reported that account here.

Premium Times reported that presidential aide Temitope Ajayi accused Onaiyekan of abusing a private privilege by speaking about what happened at the meeting. Punch reported that Daniel Bwala also defended the President’s response to the bishops, saying the clerics’ view of the economy, security and governance was not the only possible reading of the country’s situation.

The bishops had raised concerns about insecurity, economic hardship, credible elections, tertiary education and poverty during the meeting. Onaiyekan later said Tinubu disagreed with their assessment and argued that the economy was improving.

The Presidency’s reply turns the meeting into a wider public dispute over how government officials and religious leaders should speak about private engagements with the President. It also keeps attention on the bishops’ original complaints about hardship and insecurity.

Sources: Premium Times, Punch