Atiku demands apology to Onaiyekan, rejects Tinubu’s economic claims

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a strong critique of the Bola Tinubu administration, accusing it of suppressing dissent and attempting to mask Nigeria's dire economic conditions through "statistical manipulation." Abubakar also condemned the Presidency's response to remarks made by former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, regarding the nation's state, demanding an immediate apology to the cleric and the Catholic Church.

“

It was both unfortunate and dangerous that, instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message, the Presidency chose the familiar path of intimidation, ridicule and political attacks.

In a statement issued Sunday, Abubakar, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, asserted that the Presidency opted for political attacks instead of introspection following recent comments by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. He characterized the Presidency's reaction as an unfortunate and dangerous resort to intimidation and attempts to discredit respected religious leaders.

“

The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock. Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power.

Abubakar lauded the Catholic Church as a vital moral voice in Nigeria, emphasizing its consistent defense of the poor and vulnerable across different administrations. He stated that the church's duty is to speak truth to power, not to flatter those in authority. He commended the Catholic bishops for their courage in expressing concerns about the country's economic and political situation, urging other religious leaders to follow their example.

“

The Catholic bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the president in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation. That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do, not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth.

Addressing Cardinal Onaiyekan's decision to speak to the press after a meeting, Abubakar defended it as an effort to present facts to Nigerians, countering what he described as the Presidency's narrative control. He characterized the cleric's responsible act as an attempt to place facts on record, which he argued could not justify what he termed "vile, uncouth and disrespectful" reactions from the Presidency.

“

Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to the press after the Presidency sought to dominate and distort the public conversation was nothing more than an effort to place the facts on record.