Morning Recap: Presidency rebukes Catholic bishops, Jonathan, Nwoko absent from INEC’s final list

Nigeria's Presidency has publicly criticized representatives of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria following a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu. The Presidency asserted that the clerics do not hold a monopoly on the truth regarding the nation's condition. The statement also faulted Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, for disclosing details of the private meeting, deeming his comments inappropriate and a breach of expected confidentiality.

In a separate development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded months of political suspense by releasing the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections. This announcement brings a degree of clarity to the upcoming electoral landscape.

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The clerics are not the sole custodians of the truth about the state of the nation.

However, the final list revealed the absence of several high-profile politicians. Notably, former President Goodluck Jonathan, whom a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party had claimed to present as its presidential candidate, did not make the final INEC list. Senator Ned Nwoko was also absent from the published candidates.

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His comments as inappropriate and a breach of the confidentiality expected of such high-level engagements.