John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, has chosen not to address recent criticisms from the Presidency regarding the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. He stated that the bishops have already conveyed their message to President Bola Tinubu during their July 28, 2026 meeting and are now focused solely on seeing if their feedback results in improved governance.
Speaking on a radio program, Onaiyekan clarified that the bishops did not visit the State House to promote a religious agenda or engage in a public squabble with government representatives. Instead, they acted upon a moral mandate to represent the concerns of all Nigerians. He dismissed the need to respond to the Presidency’s rebuttals, noting that public discourse on social media serves as a sufficient reaction to the government’s stance.
The Cardinal emphasized that the meeting was intended to address economic and security issues impacting the public. He expressed a desire for further, more detailed discussions with the administration to delve deeper into the challenges facing the nation. Onaiyekan rejected any suggestion of partisan intent, clarifying that Catholic leadership is strictly prohibited from participating in party politics.
Addressing the state of the economy, the Cardinal argued that success should not be defined by abstract statistics or GDP growth, but by the tangible living standards of ordinary citizens. He specifically highlighted youth unemployment as a crisis, noting that many graduates are unable to start families or establish stable lives due to a lack of opportunities. He concluded by calling for stronger political will to foster fairness and encouraged other religious leaders, both Christian and Muslim, to join in a collective dialogue with the government to advocate for national progress.
