Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Peter Obi Defends Catholic Bishops, Says Government Should Listen to Criticism Instead of Fighting It.
Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has defended religious leaders who speak on national issues, saying they should not be attacked for expressing the concerns of ordinary Nigerians.
In a statement issued through his media office and signed by his spokesman, Idris Zekeri, Obi said the Catholic Church has always served as a moral voice in the country by applauding governments when they do well and speaking out whenever justice, good governance and the welfare of citizens are at stake.
He pointed out that the Catholic Church is not alone in raising concerns about the state of the nation. According to him, other religious bodies, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), have also spoken about the country’s economic hardship and security challenges.
Obi maintained that every responsible government should see constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve, rather than treating those who speak out as political enemies.
Drawing from his time as Governor of Anambra State, he recalled that he regularly engaged with traditional rulers and religious leaders, including those who openly criticised his administration. He said those conversations helped shape better policies, especially in the areas of education and healthcare.
In the statement titled “When a Government Declares War on the Truth,” Obi described the recent attacks on the Catholic Bishops and Archbishop Emeritus, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, following their comments on national issues as unnecessary and unfortunate.
According to him, Nigeria’s security, economic and social challenges require honest conversations and a willingness to listen to different opinions, instead of attacking individuals and institutions that raise genuine concerns.
Obi also reflected on Nigeria’s military era, noting that religious leaders were able to speak boldly on national matters without being vilified. He cited the 1998 visit of the late Pope John Paul II to Nigeria, during which the pontiff publicly called for democratic governance and the release of the late Chief Moshood Abiola.
He further questioned what he described as a contradiction in the Federal Government’s relationship with the Catholic Church. Obi noted that while President Bola Tinubu attended the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome, some government officials and supporters later criticised senior Catholic clerics simply for expressing their views on the state of the nation.
He urged leaders to embrace dialogue, tolerate differing opinions and focus on addressing the issues affecting Nigerians rather than attacking those who speak up.
