Atiku, Northern Christians Defend Onaiyekan After Presidency Rebuke

Fresh reactions have followed the Presidency’s criticism of Cardinal John Onaiyekan, with Atiku Abubakar, Northern Christian leaders and Senator Shehu Sani defending the Catholic bishop’s comments on President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with Catholic bishops.

The dispute followed an earlier Presidency response to Onaiyekan’s account of the bishops’ meeting with Tinubu, reported here. The new round of comments focused on whether the Presidency should have rebuked the cardinal for saying the bishops told Tinubu that many Nigerians were facing economic and security hardship.

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, said the Presidency should apologise to Onaiyekan and accused the government of intolerance toward criticism. Punch reported that Atiku also rejected the administration’s claims on the economy and said the government was trying to play down hardship.

Vanguard reported that the Northern Christian Association also defended the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, arguing that church leaders had a duty to speak on the condition of citizens. Senator Shehu Sani was also reported as backing the bishops’ right to raise concerns with the President.

Daily Post reported a separate intervention by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who said politicians were not giving Tinubu a full picture of hardship in the country. Kalu said the bishops had told the President how things were, while also arguing that the hardship was not solely Tinubu’s fault.

The reactions keep the bishops’ State House visit in the political spotlight, days after the Presidency pushed back against Onaiyekan’s account of Tinubu rejecting the bishops’ assessment of the economy, security and national mood.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Daily Post