Onaiyekan to Presidency: We’re done talking, govern better
Archbishop Emeritus John Cardinal Onaiyekan has stated that Catholic Bishops will not engage in a public debate with the Nigerian Presidency following their recent meeting. He emphasized that the bishops' intervention regarding the economy and security was a moral duty rather than a political agenda.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between religious leadership and the government in Nigeria regarding governance and public accountability.
Layer 1 The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has declined to respond to criticisms by the Presidency, insisting that Catholic Bishops have already delivered their message to the President and were only interested in whether it would influence governance.
The latest remarks followed an exchange between the Presidency and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, after the bishops met President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on July 28, 2026, to present their assessment of the country’s economy and security.
However, speaking in an exclusive interview with Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu in Ogun State, yesterday, Onaiyekan said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria had no intention of engaging in a public exchange with government spokespersons, following its recent meeting with President Tinubu.
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