John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, has accused individuals surrounding President Bola Tinubu of presenting a distorted and overly optimistic view of Nigeria. The clergyman made these remarks during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time program.
This statement followed a discussion between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to Onaiyekan, the primary concern of the religious leaders is that the President is being fed inaccurate information by those in his inner circle. He emphasized that the group felt a duty to present the actual hardships facing the nation, even if the feedback was unwelcome. Onaiyekan noted that the President’s response confirmed his clear reluctance to hear these difficult truths.