The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has faulted recent comments by Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, arguing that the cleric’s views represent the Catholic Church rather than the broader Christian community.
Bwala made the remarks in a post on his verified X account on Saturday while reacting to the Cardinal’s criticism of the Tinubu administration’s handling of the economy and insecurity following the recent meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and President Tinubu.
According to the presidential aide, Cardinal Onaiyekan’s comments reflected the position of the Catholic Church, which he claimed largely supported Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 general election.
“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 wrote.
He added that not all members of the Catholic Church shared the same political views, insisting that the Cardinal’s remarks should not be interpreted as representing the opinions of all Christians in Nigeria.
Bwala also defended President Tinubu’s response to the bishops’ assessment of the country’s economy, maintaining that the President was entitled to disagree based on available economic indicators and official data.
“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,” he stated.
The presidential spokesman further accused the Cardinal of inconsistency, alleging that some religious leaders discourage members of their congregations from publicly expressing hardship while criticising the government’s economic narrative.
“Ironically, the same priest would rebuke their members if the members said, ‘We are suffering or we are poor.’ They would tell them rather to say, ‘We are doing great’ or ‘We are rich,’ even when they are suffering or poor,” he said.
Bwala concluded by stressing that recognised umbrella bodies representing Christians in Nigeria, including the Catholic Church, are expected to maintain political neutrality.
“There is a body comprising all Christians, including the Catholics and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and that body’s position is neutral and should remain so; otherwise, it becomes political,” he added.
The exchange follows growing public debate over the state of Nigeria’s economy, insecurity and governance, as political discussions ahead of the 2027 general election continue to gather momentum.
