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Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disagreed with the concerns raised by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) over the country’s economy, insecurity and political situation during their recent meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting, which took place on July 28, 2026, brought together President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, who presented their observations on the state of the nation and urged the Federal Government to take stronger steps to address the challenges facing Nigerians.
Speaking during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise News on Friday, Onaiyekan said the President rejected the bishops’ assessment and maintained that his administration’s policies were yielding positive results.
“When the nation is bleeding, you cannot expect a polite meeting with the Head of State. We told him the economy is not helping our poor people; he told us the economy is doing fine. Frankly speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” Onaiyekan said.
He added, “We didn’t expect him to agree with us. We have done our duty, we have delivered our message, and we have a feeling that somehow, along the line, somebody will show him a few of the things we said.”
The cleric explained that the position presented to the President reflected the collective resolution of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference after extensive consultations. He stressed that the bishops had no political ambitions but were simply carrying out their moral responsibility to speak on issues affecting the lives of Nigerians.
“We are not politicians running for office. We are religious leaders who feel we have a duty not just to preach our doctrines but also to address the lives of our people,” he said.
Onaiyekan noted that the bishops intentionally gave the President an honest assessment of the country’s situation instead of presenting a flattering picture. According to him, they were encouraged that President Tinubu listened carefully and responded directly to the issues they raised.
He, however, expressed concern that many people within government were unwilling to tell the President the truth, describing the situation as one of the country’s major governance challenges.
Speaking on the political atmosphere in the country, the Archbishop defended the bishops’ warning against what they described as the gradual emergence of a one-party dominant system. He said a healthy democracy can only thrive where elections are credible and all political parties are given a fair opportunity to compete.
Responding to the President’s defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Onaiyekan argued that public confidence in the electoral body would remain a challenge as long as its leadership continued to be appointed by the President. He therefore called for electoral reforms that would strengthen the commission’s independence and boost public trust.
The Archbishop concluded by urging President Tinubu to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic institutions and focus on addressing the country’s pressing economic and security challenges. He maintained that the Catholic Bishops remain united in their conviction that Nigerians deserve better governance and meaningful improvements in their daily lives.
