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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

I’m not afraid of anybody, Onaiyekan rebuts presidency criticism

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Cardinal John Onaiyekan stated he is not afraid of the Nigerian government and is not embarrassed by criticism following his comments on a meeting between Catholic bishops and President Bola Tinubu.
  • The 82-year-old cleric asserted he spoke the truth on television about the bishops' concerns and was echoing the collective position of the bishops, not his personal views.
  • Onaiyekan emphasized Nigerians' freedom to criticize the government, noting that religious leaders in some African countries cannot speak as openly.

Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has declared he is unfazed by criticism from the Nigerian Presidency regarding his public statements after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu. The 82-year-old cleric asserted his independence, stating he appeared on television to convey the concerns of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, not to appease any government official.

I didn’t go to Arise to please government, or to just please people, but to tell the truth. That’s all I stand for.

— Cardinal John OnaiyekanExplaining his motivation for speaking publicly after meeting President Tinubu.

"I didn’t go to Arise to please government, or to just please people, but to tell the truth. That’s all I stand for," Onaiyekan said in a video shared by SYMFONI TV. He added, "I cannot be embarrassed. I’m 82 years old; nobody can embarrass me. And I’m not afraid of anybody."

I cannot be embarrassed. I’m 82 years old; nobody can embarrass me. And I’m not afraid of anybody. Nobody, at this stage now, are they going to arrest me, carry me to where?

— Cardinal John OnaiyekanAsserting his fearlessness and age in response to potential criticism.

Onaiyekan stressed the importance of public criticism of those in power, noting that such freedom is not universal in Africa. "And we are still lucky in this Nigeria that we can still talk. We shouldn’t take that for granted. There are many countries in Africa where no bishop dares to talk like we do here," he said.

And we are still lucky in this Nigeria that we can still talk. We shouldn’t take that for granted. There are many countries in Africa where no bishop dares to talk like we do here.

— Cardinal John OnaiyekanHighlighting the freedom of expression available to religious leaders in Nigeria.

He clarified that his remarks reflected the unified stance of the bishops who attended the meeting with President Tinubu. "No, mind you, I didn’t talk on my own now. I spoke on behalf of my fellow bishops. We drafted a statement which contained all that I said in the interview. So, all the bishops of Nigeria spoke that way. It was their voice I was echoing," he explained. The bishops raised concerns about economic hardship, insecurity, democracy, the 2027 elections, religious freedom, and the return of mission schools during their July 28 meeting with the president.

No, mind you, I didn’t talk on my own now. I spoke on behalf of my fellow bishops. We drafted a statement which contained all that I said in the interview. So, all the bishops of Nigeria spoke that way. It was their voice I was echoing.

— Cardinal John OnaiyekanClarifying that his statements represented the collective views of the Catholic bishops.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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