Tinubu did not insult Catholic bishops; he is their friend, says Senator Kalu

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has defended President Bola Tinubu against allegations of disrespecting the Catholic Church, asserting that the President maintains a cordial relationship with the Catholic bishops and consistently offers an open-door policy.

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This is not the first time that the Catholic Church is going to President Tinubu. In every country, from DRC to Angola, to South Africa and anywhere, the Catholic Church and other churches are always the conscience of the country.

Kalu made these remarks on Channels Television's Politics Today, addressing a controversy that arose after a recent meeting between Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). The dispute was ignited by comments from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, who accused Tinubu of insulting the bishops.

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I do not see anything wrong in what the Catholic bishops said. Those discussions were made by Archbishop Danagoro of Kaduna State, the current president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and not even Onaiyekan.

Rejecting Amaechi's claim, Kalu highlighted the historical role of the Catholic Church as the conscience of nations, including Nigeria. He noted that the concerns voiced after the meeting were consistent with the longstanding tradition of the CBCN, which has commented on national affairs since the military era. "I do not see anything wrong in what the Catholic bishops said," Kalu stated, clarifying that Archbishop Danagoro of Kaduna, the current CBCN president, made the remarks, not Onaiyekan.

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For me, Tinubu is not an enemy to the Catholic bishops; he’s one of their best friends and I don’t feel insulted. Tinubu in no means insulted the Catholic bishops. I didn’t see it.

"For me, Tinubu is not an enemy to the Catholic bishops; he’s one of their best friends and I don’t feel insulted. Tinubu in no means insulted the Catholic bishops. I didn’t see it," Kalu insisted. He pointed out that Tinubu has consistently granted meeting requests from Catholic leaders, emphasizing that any president who avoids the Catholic bishops is essentially avoiding valuable counsel, as they often articulate concerns that politicians might hesitate to voice directly to the president.

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President Tinubu has a very good relationship with the Catholic Church. Anytime they have asked for an audience, he has given it to them because any president dodging Catholic bishops is dodging himself, because what politicians cannot tell the president, the Catholic bishops will say it.