Atiku criticizes presidency's remarks on Catholic bishops, calls for apology

Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the presidency for its comments on the Catholic Church and John Cardinal Onaiyekan. He called it an attack on one of Nigeria’s respected moral institutions and showed the Tinubu administration’s growing intolerance of different opinions.

Atiku demanded an immediate and sincere apology to Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic faithful. He said the presidency's reaction to the cleric’s comments was “arrogant, disrespectful and unbecoming of a democratic government.”

In a statement on Sunday from his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the presidency of choosing political attacks over self-reflection. This followed recent comments by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria about the state of the nation.

Atiku noted that rather than addressing the bishops' concerns, the presidency used intimidation and tried to undermine respected religious leaders. “It was both unfortunate and dangerous that, instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message, the presidency chose the familiar path of intimidation, ridicule and political attacks,” he said.

Atiku's Defense of the Church

Atiku described the Catholic Church as one of Nigeria’s lasting moral voices. He pointed out that its leaders have always defended the poor, vulnerable and oppressed, no matter who is in power. “The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock. Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power,” he stated.

He praised the Catholic clerics for their bravery in openly discussing Nigeria’s economic and political issues. “The Catholic bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the president in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation. That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do, not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth.

“We urge other religious leaders, regardless of denomination or faith, to emulate this example by speaking truth to power whenever the nation’s interest demands it,” he added.

Support for Cardinal Onaiyekan

The ADC presidential candidate also defended Cardinal Onaiyekan’s choice to speak to the press after their meeting. He argued that the cleric wanted to share the facts with Nigerians after what he called the presidency's attempt to control the narrative. “Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to the press after the presidency sought to dominate and distort the public conversation was nothing more than an effort to place the facts on record. Such a responsible act cannot justify the vile, uncouth and disrespectful reaction that followed from Tinubu’s media handlers,” he said.

He accused the presidency of trying to damage the credibility of the Catholic bishops by misrepresenting their engagement with President Bola Tinubu. “What the media managers of the Tinubu administration attempted to do was to cancel and overwrite the voices of the revered Catholic bishops by selectively editing and reframing their engagement with the president in order to manufacture a narrative favourable to the government. That cynical exercise amounted to an affront to the integrity, credibility and moral authority of the bishops,” he stated.

Warning Against Intolerance

Atiku further criticized what he called the government’s intolerance of independent voices. He warned that democracy cannot thrive when citizens, religious leaders and civil society groups are attacked for their views. “The presidency is not a secret cult where only approved voices are permitted to speak. In a constitutional democracy, no one needs the permission of Aso Rock to tell the truth about the state of the nation,” he noted.

In reference to the controversy about clerics who attended President Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, Atiku said the administration seems to think all religious leaders can be used for political purposes. “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,” he declared.

Atiku added that attacking respected clerics would not change the economic challenges Nigerians face. “The cleric merely gave voice to what millions of Nigerians discuss daily in their homes, markets, churches and workplaces. Silencing or attacking him will not erase the harsh realities of hunger, insecurity, rising poverty, unemployment and the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting ordinary citizens,” he said.

He insisted that governments gain more public trust by responding positively to criticism instead of attacking critics. “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 apologize to Onaiyekan, the Catholic Church and millions of Catholic faithful in Nigeria. “The presidency owes the Catholic Church, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the entire Catholic faithful an immediate and unreserved apology. The reckless assault on respected men of God was not merely an attack on individuals; it was an affront to one of Nigeria’s most credible moral institutions and an insult to millions of faithful Catholics.

“Until that apology is offered, the Tinubu administration will continue to stand accused of arrogance, intolerance and contempt for every independent voice that refuses to sing its praises,” he stated.