Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, says comments by John Onaiyekan, cardinal and former Catholic archbishop of Abuja, that the current administration appeared “bent on winning the 2027 elections by all means” rather than improving the welfare of Nigerians were more political than spiritual.
The cleric’s comment followed the visit by the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by Matthew Ndagoso, its president, to Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
During the meeting, Tinubu defended his administration’s policy, noting that the economy is stabilising.
Speaking during an interview on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, Onaiyekan said Tinubu and his officials were “not looking very happy” with the bishops’ address, adding that it differed from the kind of remarks the president usually listens to.
‘HE WASN’T SPEAKING FOR ALL CHRISTIANS’
However, in an X post on Saturday, Bwala said the cleric’s comments do not represent the views of all Christians.
He alleged that the Catholic Church was among the institutions that supported Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in 2023 and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer for the 2027 elections.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians; he was speaking for Catholics, the very institutions rooting for Peter Obi, in fact, likely the institution where Peter Obi also said in 2022, ‘take back your country’,” Bwala said.
“Therefore, the cardinal is more political than spiritual. And not all Catholic members are supporting Peter Obi.
“The president was well within his right to disagree with their assertion as regards Nigeria’s economy based purely on facts, statistics and numbers put into context.”
Bwala also criticised Onaiyekan’s assessment of the country’s economic situation, saying Catholic priests often encourage their members to make positive confessions even in difficult circumstances.
The presidential aide said there is a broader Christian body that includes the Catholic Church and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, insisting that such an organisation should remain neutral on political matters.
“Ironically, the same priest would rebuke their members if the members said, ‘we are suffering or we are poor’. They would tell them to rather say, ‘we are doing great’ or ‘we are rich’ even when they are suffering or poor,” he added.
“There is a body comprising all Christians, including the Catholics and Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and that body’s position is neutral and should be so; otherwise, it is political.”
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