ABUJA — The Northern Christian Association (NCA), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, have defended the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, following a backlash from the Presidency over comments attributed to the cleric.
The controversy followed an interview granted by Onaiyekan to Arise Television on Friday, shortly after the Catholic bishops met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
During the interview, Onaiyekan raised concerns about the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians, arguing that government policies had contributed to the hardship being experienced across the country.
He also accused the administration of becoming increasingly intolerant of dissenting views and uncomfortable truths. The cleric further expressed concern that the President might not be receiving accurate information about the realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
Onaiyekan also raised questions about the 2027 general election, alleging that the administration was determined to retain power by all means and warning that the use of state resources could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.
The comments triggered a reaction from the Presidency, with the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, criticising the cleric’s remarks.
Bwala argued that Onaiyekan was speaking for Catholics and not Christians as a whole, describing the former Abuja bishop as being more political than spiritual.
His comments, however, drew strong criticism from the Northern Christian Association, which accused the presidential aide of attempting to create division within the Christian community.
In a statement issued by its chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab, the association said the Catholic bishops had every right to speak on national issues and insisted that their intervention was not limited to matters concerning the Catholic Church.
Hayab said the NCA itself comprises Christians from different denominations across Northern Nigeria, including Catholics, Baptists, Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Methodists, Anglicans and Pentecostals.
He said attempts to create divisions among Christian denominations would not be tolerated.
“Catholics are Christians and Nigerians. Our members are Catholics, Baptists, ECWA, Methodists, Anglicans, Pentecostals and people of all denominations. We refuse to be divided by politics of division,” Hayab said.
The NCA chairman described Cardinal Onaiyekan as a respected Christian leader, stressing that the bishops who met with the President did so to discuss issues affecting humanity, Christians and Nigerians generally.
According to him, the bishops’ intervention was aimed at offering honest counsel to the President and helping the administration address the challenges confronting the country.
Hayab described the alleged disrespect directed at the cardinal as unfortunate, saying government officials should be willing to listen to criticism and engage concerns raised by religious leaders and other stakeholders.
He also criticised what he described as the use of propaganda by some government officials to dismiss legitimate concerns instead of addressing the realities facing citizens.
The NCA chairman warned that Nigeria’s challenges would ultimately affect everyone, regardless of political affiliation, urging those in government to focus on finding solutions to the country’s problems.
He reaffirmed the association’s confidence in the Catholic bishops, describing them as patriotic leaders who were committed to the progress of Nigeria.
Atiku backs Catholic bishops
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also joined those defending the Catholic bishops, accusing the Presidency of responding to criticism with intimidation and political attacks rather than addressing the substance of the issues raised.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the reaction from the Presidency suggested that officials were uncomfortable with the frank assessment presented by the bishops.
He argued that the Catholic bishops were not political actors seeking government appointments or favours, but religious leaders with a responsibility to speak about issues affecting the people.
Atiku said the Catholic Church had historically played the role of a moral voice for the poor and vulnerable, regardless of which political party or administration was in power.
He also criticised what he described as attempts by government officials to distort the message delivered by the bishops and create a narrative favourable to the administration.
According to him, Cardinal Onaiyekan’s subsequent media appearance was intended to clarify the issues discussed and ensure that the concerns raised were properly understood.
Atiku maintained that the issues highlighted by the cardinal, including hunger, insecurity, poverty, unemployment and the rising cost of living, reflected the daily experiences of millions of Nigerians.
He warned that attacking the messenger would not eliminate the problems being faced by citizens.
The former vice president consequently called on the Presidency to apologise to the Catholic Church, Cardinal Onaiyekan and Catholic faithful across the country.
Shehu Sani: Bishops have always spoken truth to power
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, also defended the Catholic bishops, saying the church had maintained a long-standing tradition of speaking truth to successive governments.
Sani, in a post on his X handle on Saturday, said the Catholic bishops had consistently raised concerns with governments dating back to the military era and had continued to do so under successive civilian administrations.
He maintained that the bishops had never been partisan in their engagements with political leaders.
“From the era of military rule and throughout the period of civilian governments, the Catholic Bishops have a consistent history of telling truth to power,” Sani said.
The former senator added that the bishops had always presented their assessments to political leaders regardless of who occupied the presidency.
He said their interventions should therefore not be interpreted as political opposition but as part of their long-standing role of providing moral guidance and speaking on issues affecting the nation.
The controversy over the bishops’ comments comes amid growing debate over the economic situation in the country, the rising cost of living and the political environment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
