Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the presidency’s attacks on the Catholic Church and one of its respected clerics, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, describing it as yet another demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s growing intolerance of dissent and uncomfortable truths.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said it was both unfortunate and dangerous that, instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message, the presidency chose the familiar path of intimidation, ridicule and political attacks.
“The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock. Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power.
“The Catholic Bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the president in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation. That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do—not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth.
“We urge other religious leaders, regardless of denomination or faith, to emulate this example by speaking truth to power whenever the nation’s interest demands it.
“The commentary by the Tinubu Presidency against Cardinal John Onaiyekan—a respected voice, elder statesman and beacon of truth within the Catholic Church—was delivered in language that was unbecoming of a government and amounted to sheer arrogance, not only towards the Church but towards millions of Nigerians who hold the Cardinal and the institution he represents in the highest esteem. Such haughtiness betrays a government that has lost respect for independent voices.
“What the media managers of the Tinubu administration attempted to do was to cancel and overwrite the voices of the revered Catholic Bishops by selectively editing and reframing their engagement with the President in order to manufacture a narrative favourable to the government. That cynical exercise amounted to an affront to the integrity, credibility and moral authority of the bishops.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to the press after the Presidency sought to dominate and distort the public conversation was nothing more than an effort to place the facts on record. Such a responsible act cannot justify the vile, uncouth and disrespectful reaction that followed from Tinubu’s media handlers. Resorting to insults instead of addressing the issues only exposes the bankruptcy of their arguments.
“It is disappointing that the Presidency has chosen to attack a respected servant of God simply because he refused to join the growing army of sycophants whose only assignment is to applaud failure and defend the indefensible.
“The Presidency is not a secret cult where only approved voices are permitted to speak. In a constitutional democracy, no one needs the permission of Aso Rock to tell the truth about the state of the nation.
“Perhaps the Presidency has become so accustomed to inviting ‘fake bishops’ that it now assumes every cleric can be recruited into political propaganda. But Catholic bishops are different. They are not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers. They are shepherds with a moral obligation to speak truth to power, regardless of whose interests are bruised. They cannot be used.
“The cleric merely gave voice to what millions of Nigerians discuss daily in their homes, markets, churches and workplaces. Silencing or attacking him will not erase the harsh realities of hunger, insecurity, rising poverty, unemployment and the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting ordinary citizens.
“A government confident in its record welcomes criticism because it provides an opportunity for reflection and improvement. Only an insecure government wages war against honest voices while rewarding those who tell it only what it wants to hear.
“Nigeria’s democracy cannot flourish if religious leaders, civil society and patriotic citizens are expected to become praise singers before they can exercise their constitutional right to express their opinions. The Church has every right—and indeed a moral obligation—to speak whenever the welfare, dignity and future of Nigerians are threatened.
“The Presidency should stop shooting the messenger and start addressing the message. No amount of attacks on respected clerics will change the lived reality of Nigerians or absolve this administration of responsibility for the hardships its policies have inflicted on the people.
“The Presidency owes the Catholic Church, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the entire Catholic faithful an immediate and unreserved apology. The reckless assault on respected men of God was not merely an attack on individuals; it was an affront to one of Nigeria’s most credible moral institutions and an insult to millions of faithful Catholics. Until that apology is offered, the Tinubu administration will continue to stand accused of arrogance, intolerance and contempt for every independent voice that refuses to sing its praises.”
Also, dismissing the recent defence of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies by the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, as a desperate exercise in revisionism, Atiku said no amount of polished presentations could whitewash the economic suffering inflicted on Nigerians.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the minister’s claims on public debt, subsidy removal, debt servicing and workers’ welfare collapsed under the weight of publicly available facts.
According to Atiku, the claim that savings from the removal of fuel subsidy were being used to offset liabilities inherited from previous administrations is fundamentally misleading.
“As of May 2023, when President Tinubu assumed office, the Federal Government’s exposure to the Central Bank of Nigeria stood at approximately ₦26.9 trillion. Today, that exposure has ballooned to over ₦40.38 trillion.
“This administration has not reduced its indebtedness to the CBN. It has merely changed the label on the debt by converting Ways and Means advances into Treasury Bills and bonds while simultaneously piling up fresh obligations. That is debt restructuring—not debt repayment.”
Atiku noted that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, recently disclosed that the CBN’s credit to the Federal Government rose from ₦22.99 trillion in May 2025 to ₦40.38 trillion in May 2026—a staggering increase of ₦17.39 trillion, or 77.6 per cent within one year.
“This completely destroys the narrative that subsidy savings are being used to reduce government indebtedness. Nigerians deserve honesty, not creative accounting,” he said.
Atiku also described as false the claim that subsidy savings were funding improved workers’ welfare.
“Which salary increase is the government talking about? The federal government is yet to fully implement the new minimum wage. The 40 per cent peculiar allowance tied to the wage adjustment remains unpaid despite official directives that it should take effect from May 1, 2026.
“The promised wage award has equally not been fully implemented. These are not opposition allegations; they are the grievances of organised labour,” he said, rejecting further, the claim that subsidy savings are financing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“The Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND publicly stated that the scheme received a ₦50 billion injection from recovered funds by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). If that is the case, why is the government now presenting subsidy savings as the source? Nigerians are tired of an administration that changes its story each time it is confronted with facts.”
The former Vice President also faulted the attempt to blame rising debt servicing costs solely on high interest rates.
“Who drove interest rates to their current levels? Under this administration, the Monetary Policy Rate has climbed dramatically, making borrowing prohibitively expensive for manufacturers and the private sector. Government’s insatiable appetite for borrowing has crowded out productive businesses while pushing debt servicing to unsustainable levels. To now blame interest rates is nothing short of an admission of policy failure,” he said.
Atiku, therefore, said the administration’s economic scorecard could not be hidden behind statistics that bore no resemblance to the everyday reality of Nigerians.
“Food prices have spiralled beyond the reach of ordinary families. Inflation continues to erode incomes. Businesses are shutting down. Unemployment remains alarming. The naira has suffered unprecedented depreciation, while poverty has deepened across the country. These are the realities Nigerians confront daily—not the glossy presentations from government officials,” he said
According to him, no amount of propaganda can erase the verdict already delivered by millions of Nigerians struggling to survive.
“Governments are judged not by PowerPoint presentations or television interviews but by the quality of life of their citizens. On that score, this administration has failed spectacularly. Economic hardship cannot be explained away with clever rhetoric. Nigerians are living the consequences every day.”
Atiku urged government officials to abandon media spin and begin confronting the harsh realities facing the nation with sincerity, competence and accountability.
Chuks Okocha
