Rotimi Amaechi, who is the running mate for the ADC presidential candidate, recently criticized President Bola Tinubu and his communications staff for their hostile remarks toward Archbishop Emeritus John Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic Church. Amaechi stated that the Presidency’s reaction to Onaiyekan’s critique of his meeting with Catholic Bishops was entirely inappropriate.
During an appearance on Channels Television, Amaechi argued that bishops command the same level of authority and influence as state governors. He illustrated this by noting that a Catholic bishop often oversees a territory equivalent to an entire state, just as a governor does. He expressed that insults directed at church leadership are direct attacks on his own faith and that he feels compelled to defend it.
Amaechi also dismissed the notion that the meeting between the President and the bishops was purely private. He pointed out that the presence of recording cameras during such interactions invalidates claims of confidentiality. Furthermore, he condemned the rhetoric coming from the President’s supporters, emphasizing that disparaging a Cardinal—an official eligible for the papacy—is deeply disrespectful to the Catholic community.
