Presidency Responds to Cardinal Onaiyekan's Criticism

Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, responded to Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, labeling him as "more political than spiritual." This statement followed Onaiyekan's criticism of President Tinubu's dismissal of concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Onaiyekan stated that the bishops conveyed to the president that Nigeria's situation was dire, contradicting the optimistic portrayal by the president's aides.

Bwala contended that Onaiyekan represented only the Catholic Church's views, not the broader Christian community, and accused the institution of political bias towards former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. He defended President Tinubu's rejection of the bishops' assessment, asserting it was based on factual data.

Bwala also remarked on the irony of religious leaders publicly acknowledging hardship while urging their followers to maintain positive declarations.