Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, said yesterday the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, was not neutral during the 2023 general elections, dismissing suggestions that the cleric’s recent criticisms of the Presidency was impartial.

His statement elicited strong reactions from the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, which did not only declare its support for Cardinal Onaiyekan, but also said the cleric merely reflected the hardship confronting millions of Nigerians currently.

Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, also drew support from the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, a socio-cultural and political organization representing the minority ethnic nationalities in the central zone of the country, in the current face-off between the CBCN and the Federal Government.

Recall that Onaiyekan had in an interview with Arise TV, said the CBCN in its meeting with President Bola Tinubu last Friday, drawn the attention of the President to the hardship currently facing Nigerians as a result of policies of his government and the fact that his administration appeared focused on winning a second term in 2027.

This, however, didn’t sit well with the Presidency as presidential spokesman, Daniel Bwala, said Cardinal Onaiyekan’s remarks did not reflect the opinions of all Christians in Nigeria, alleging that the Catholic Church is rooting for Peter Obi of Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, for the 2027 election.

Speaking in his monthly media parley monitored in Abuja yesterday, Wike argued that religious leaders needed to show more balance in their public commentaries, stating that one-sided criticism of government, without any acknowledgment of its achievements, will inevitably be read as political.

“I am aware of the position of Cardinal Onaiyekan; all of us know, it’s not hidden, whom he supports; everybody knows that,” he said.

The Minister maintained that while government should not be shielded from criticism, credit should also be given where it was due.

He added: “It is not every time you say things are bad; nobody has heard you say government has done this well. Commend government when government has done well in certain areas; criticise government and say, look, you have done this well, but you should improve in these other areas.”

Wike said where a public figure’s interventions are consistently negative, government would rightly conclude the criticism was rooted in opposition rather than objectivity.

On the claim that the bishops’ position was non-partisan, the minister rejected the argument, pointing to what he described as open political alignment by religious leaders during the last presidential poll. “Don’t tell me they’re not partisan. You know what happened in the 2023 elections. People took sides, religious leaders took sides, it was very open.

“I would be stupid to sit here for anybody to tell me this person is impartial. No. We know ourselves in this country; we know who belongs to where. Who did they support in 2023? It was very obvious,” he added.

…Queries Catholic Bishops over remarks on INEC’s neutrality

He also faulted the Catholic Bishops over their call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to maintain neutrality in the 2027 elections, asking the clerics to remain objective in their assessment of the electoral umpire.

“How did the Catholic Bishops come to the conclusion that INEC is biased? What are your facts? What happened for you to prove? Now, if you are taking that kind of position, it is delicate because that association is a strong association.

“Now, when you come to the public to make that kind of accusation that the electoral umpire is biased, you must have your facts. This is why we say they are biased. Look at this, look at that.

‘’But if you just come to the general public and say, ‘INEC is biased’, you are sending a signal to the public because people will say, ‘for a whole Catholic Bishops to say INEC is biased, then something is wrong. We must be very careful about it, and that’s why President (Tinubu) say, ‘No, no, you can’t say they are biased.’”

Northern youths tackle Wike, say Onaiyekan spoke truth on hardship

Reacting to the development yesterday, the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, declared its support for Cardinal Onaiyekan, saying the cleric merely reflected realities confronting millions of Nigerians.

In a statement signed yesterday by the National President, Isah Abubakar, the group said Cardinal Onaiyekan’s remarks on economic hardship, inflation and insecurity represented the concerns of ordinary Nigerians and should not be dismissed.

The youth council said the Cardinal, whom it described as a respected elder statesman and moral voice, demonstrated courage by presenting what it called the “daily lived realities” of Nigerians to the President during the meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.

The NYCN expressed concern over what it described as attempts by presidential aides to criticise the cleric instead of addressing the issues he raised.

It argued that public officials should focus on responding to citizens’ concerns rather than questioning those who speak out on national challenges.

The group further commended Cardinal Onaiyekan for what it described as his commitment to speaking truth to those in authority, saying his intervention reflected patriotism and concern for the country’s future.

It also urged religious and traditional leaders across the country, irrespective of faith, to continue speaking on issues affecting the welfare of citizens and national development.

According to the group, faith leaders should place the interests of Nigerians above personal considerations and continue to advocate justice, accountability and good governance.

The NYCN maintained that the Cardinal’s comments resonated with many Nigerians and reaffirmed its support for his position, while calling on government to pay attention to concerns raised by citizens over the country’s economic and security situation.

Bishops have right to criticise govt —Amaechi

In his reaction, former Minister of Transportation and a chieftain of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Rotimi Amaechi, accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of insulting the Catholic Church and the Christian faith, urging the Presidency to show greater respect for religious leaders.

Amaechi, who spoke in an interview on Channels TV, said the Catholic bishops were justified in raising concerns about hardship in the country and the integrity of future elections during their meeting with President Tinubu.

He said: “the reason the bishops went to the President was to discuss the hardship in the country, the state of the nation and issues of concern, including how fair INEC would be. What the President needs to do is reassure Nigerians that all political parties will slog it out in the field and that it will be a free and fair election.”

The former Rivers State governor faulted the Presidency’s criticism of the Catholic leaders after the meeting, insisting there was nothing wrong with their comments.

He said: “Every public meeting with the President is public. The moment you allow cameras into the office, it is no longer private. If the President wanted a private meeting, there would be no cameras and no journalists.”

Amaechi maintained that the government’s response amounted to an attack on the Catholic Church, saying “what the President and his men are doing is insulting my faith; they are insulting the Catholic Church.’’

He argued that Catholic bishops and cardinals deserve respect because of the positions they occupied in the church.

“A Cardinal is somebody who could have been Pope or someone who votes for Popes. When you insult a Cardinal, you are insulting about 35 million Catholics. You look at me in my faith and say I don’t mean anything. My Church means nothing. My God means nothing to you,” he stated.

Rejecting claims that the Catholic bishops were pursuing political interests, Amaechi said they were motivated by concern over worsening living conditions.

Speaking on Cardinal John Onaiyekan, he said: “He supports nobody. I’ve had several conversations with him. The only thing that pains him is the level of poverty, hardship and corruption in the country. He worries about Nigerians.”

Amaechi, who also defended the right of religious leaders to hold governments accountable, said: “Religious leaders should criticise governments. The Pope speaks on global issues, including wars. The Church has a responsibility to speak when people are suffering.”

He recalled that the Catholic Church criticised the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari over insecurity without attracting similar attacks from the government.

“When the Catholic Church came after Buhari, I was in Buhari’s government. We all kept quiet and looked at what we should do. We did not insult the bishops,” he said.

Amaechi urged the Presidency to refrain from statements capable of deepening religious divisions.

“They should leave the Catholic Church alone. They should respect God, respect the Christian faith and respect our bishops. That is why I came out, despite mourning my mother, to appeal to government to stop insulting Christians and the Catholic Church,’’ he said.

The former Minister added that he was deliberately avoiding partisan politics, saying he would address political issues after completing the mourning period for his late mother.

We stand with Onaiyekan, CBCN —Middle Belt Forum

Also throwing its weights behind the CBCN and Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Middle Belt Forum condemned in very strong terms the unwarranted attacks against Cardinal Onaiyekan for speaking the truth about the harsh living conditions facing millions of Nigerians.

In a statement by the spokesman, Luka Binniyat, yesterday, the MBF urged the Federal Government to reflect on what it described as sincere observation from the CBCN, stressing that attacks on the Cardinal and CBCN were unfair, unnecessary and completely misplaced.

The statement read: ‘’Let him hear directly from displaced farmers, widows, market women, unemployed youths and community leaders instead of relying solely on official briefings.

“The Middle Belt Forum expresses its total solidarity with John Cardinal Onaiyekan, on his position about the endemic poverty in Nigeria today.

“The MBF condemns unwarranted attacks against him for speaking the truth about the harsh living conditions facing millions of Nigerians.

“Instead of reflecting on this sincere observation, some presidential aides and supporters, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, accused the respected cleric of playing politics.

“The MBF believes those attacks are unfair, unnecessary and completely misplaced. Cardinal Onaiyekan merely echoed what millions of Nigerians experience every day. He spoke neither as a politician nor as an opposition figure.

“The Cardinal spoke as a patriotic Nigerian and a respected religious leader who has consistently stood for justice, peace and the welfare of all citizens.

“For the people of the Middle Belt, the reality is even more painful. Our communities have endured years of relentless attacks by Islamist terrorists and armed Fulani ethnic militias. Tinubu’s government has not made noticeable improvement on the situation.

“Thousands of innocent people have been murdered, while millions of Nigerians remain internally displaced, with a significant number coming from Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Niger, Borno and other parts of the Middle Belt.

‘’Entire villages have been destroyed, churches and schools burnt, and vast stretches of fertile farmland abandoned or occupied by terrorists.

“This truth should not be ignored simply because it is uncomfortable. The economic realities are equally undeniable. While the national minimum wage has increased from N30,000 to N70,000 under President Tinubu, its real value has declined sharply.

‘’In 2022, the N30,000 minimum wage was worth roughly US$65 at the official exchange rate. Today, despite the higher nominal wage, N70,000 is worth only about $50 at the current official exchange rate. This means that many workers earn more naira but command less value in real terms.

“Even more important is the purchasing power of that income. Since the introduction of the administration’s economic reforms, Nigerians have witnessed unprecedented increases in the prices of petrol, food, transportation, electricity, cooking gas, healthcare, school fees and other essential goods and services.

“The naira has depreciated dramatically, moving from an official exchange rate of about N460 to one US dollar in 2022 to about N1,368 to one US dollar today. The inevitable consequence is that millions of families can no longer afford the basic necessities of life.

“The important question, therefore, is this: Are Nigerians genuinely better off today than they were before these reforms? For millions of struggling families, especially those displaced by terrorism and violent attacks across the Middle Belt, the answer is painfully obvious.

“The Middle Belt Forum respectfully urges President Tinubu to welcome constructive criticism instead of allowing loyalists to attack every honest voice that points out the suffering of the people. Leaders become stronger when they listen to uncomfortable truths, not when they surround themselves with those who tell them only what they wish to hear.

“We respectfully call on the President to undertake an independent assessment of the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians, particularly those who have lost everything to terrorism and violent attacks. Let him hear directly from displaced farmers, widows, market women, unemployed youths and community leaders instead of relying solely on official briefings.

“Their testimonies will present a clearer picture of the country’s realities than any prepared report. The Middle Belt Forum, therefore, stands firmly with the CBCN and His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.

“Speaking the truth about poverty, insecurity and human suffering is not politics. We believe that it is a constitutional right, a moral obligation and a patriotic duty that the CBCN owes its laity and every suffering citizen.”

Onaiyekan spoke out of concern for Nigeria, not malice – Catholic Laity

On its part, the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, CLCN, said Cardinal Onaiyekan commented on President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with Catholic bishops out of concern for Nigeria.

The Catholic laity are ordinary and baptized members of the Catholic Church, which make up a vast majority of Catholics globally.

The laity, in a statement by its National Pesident and Secretary-General, Ambrose Obioha and Francis Olayinka Ojo, said Onaiyekan’s remarks were intended to “call the nation to conscience” rather than embarrass the Federal Government.

The council said the Catholic Church has a moral obligation, rooted in the gospel and social teaching, to speak truth to power, defend the vulnerable and hold leaders accountable.

According to the council, such interventions should not be construed as an abuse of privilege but as part of the church’s pastoral responsibility.

The laity council also said while it respected the sanctity of private engagements, discussions on issues affecting the lives and welfare of Nigerians cannot remain permanently behind closed doors.

The council urged the presidency and the Catholic Church to sustain dialogue in national interest.

The group also declared its solidarity with Onaiyekan and the CBCN, calling on Nigerians to pray for the country’s leaders and support policies that promote security, justice and economic relief.

The statement read: “We know Cardinal Onaiyekan to be a man of peace, dialogue and integrity. His intervention was not to embarrass government, but to call the nation to conscience.

“A disagreement over facts, as the presidency rightly noted, should not be read as arrogance. Neither should a pastoral reflection be read as a breach of trust.

When national issues of economy, security and justice are discussed, the people have a right to know the direction of leadership.

“Cardinal Onaiyekan did not reveal secrets. He shared the moral concerns of the Church and the response of government, which is in the public interest.

“CLCN believes that government and Church must continue to work together for the common good. We urge both the presidency and the Church to sustain the channels of dialogue. Nigeria needs moral voices now more than ever.” (Vanguard)

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