Atiku Demands Apology Over Tinubu's Response to Cardinal Onaiyekan

The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has demanded that President Bola Tinubu's government apologize to Cardinal John Onaiyekan and Nigeria's Catholic Bishops Conference. This call came after what Atiku views as an unsuitable reaction by the presidency to statements made by church leaders regarding economic and security matters facing the nation.

Through his spokesman Phrank Shaibu, Atiku contended that governing institutions must not operate as closed spaces accessible only to favored speakers. He argued that within democracies, both citizens and organizations possess the right to voice worries and communicate honestly without needing authorization from those holding executive power.

Atiku positioned the church's function as delivering moral guidance—conveying uncomfortable truths to the powerful—which should be safeguarded instead of subjected to assault. Atiku described the presidency's approach to the bishops' engagement as evidence of mounting unwillingness to tolerate critical views and unwelcome facts.

Instead of engaging substantively with what the church communicated regarding Nigeria's financial standing, Atiku claimed the government turned to suppression and rejection. He further alleged that the administration worked to disguise economic hardships by employing what he termed statistical distortion.

The disagreement stems from Cardinal Onaiyekan's attendance at a presidential meeting as member of a Catholic Bishops Conference delegation. Reports do not specify in detail the presidency's particular objections to or criticisms of what the church representatives expressed, though confirmed accounts indicate the administration did publicly respond to the bishops' involvement.

According to multiple news sources, Atiku released his statement on a Sunday.