![\"\"](\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TINUBU-AT-INAUGURAL-SORRESPONDENTS-DINNER-1-300x164.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A peep into a closed-door meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigeria’s Catholic bishops has exposed a sharp divide over the true state of the nation, with Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, revealing that the President flatly rejected the bishops’ grim assessment of worsening hardship, insisting instead that his administration’s economic reforms were yielding positive results.<\/p>\n
The disclosure, made during an interview on ARISE News, offers the clearest picture yet of what transpired during the July 28 meeting at the Presidential Villa, where members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) confronted the President over soaring poverty, insecurity, governance challenges and what they described as a growing disconnect between official economic statistics and the daily realities facing millions of Nigerians.<\/p>\n
“When the nation is bleeding, you cannot expect a polite meeting with the Head of State. We had to let him know,” Onaiyekan declared.<\/p>\n
According to the cardinal, the bishops deliberately chose candour over diplomacy, presenting what they described as a carefully researched and collective assessment of the country’s condition after extensive consultations among Nigeria’s Catholic leadership.<\/p>\n
“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 revealed.<\/p>\n
He said the disagreement came as no surprise.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
The cardinal stressed that the bishops’ presentation was neither personal nor politically motivated but reflected the unanimous position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference after multiple rounds of review.<\/p>\n
Rejecting accusations of political ambition, Onaiyekan insisted the Church had no interest in seeking power.<\/p>\n
“We have no ambitions to take Mr. Tinubu’s job or anybody else’s job. We are not politicians running for office. We are, first and foremost, religious leaders who feel we have a duty\u2014not just to preach our religious doctrines, but also to address the lives of our people.”<\/p>\n
He argued that the bishops felt compelled to provide the President with a reality check amid what they believe are overly optimistic briefings from some government officials.<\/p>\n
“There are so many people hanging around Mr. President, giving him a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not. We felt that we have the obligation to help him appreciate the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves.”<\/p>\n
Despite the differences, Onaiyekan acknowledged that Tinubu listened attentively and responded to each issue raised during the meeting.<\/p>\n
The revelations come as another influential Christian body, the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), issued a blistering assessment of the Tinubu administration while weighing in on the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election.<\/p>\n
In a statement signed by its chairman, Dr. Samuel Danjuma Gani, following its July 2026 meeting, the forum described the administration’s performance on security, economic development and citizens’ welfare as “hugely sub-optimal” and “manifestly disappointing.”<\/p>\n
The group urged President Tinubu not to seek a second term in 2027, but instead devote the remainder of his tenure to restructuring Nigeria and facilitating the emergence of a new constitution.<\/p>\n
The elders also criticised the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, describing it as insensitive at a time when Islamist violence continues to affect many parts of the country, while calling for an independent judiciary, a neutral Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), credible elections, and stronger national institutions.<\/p>\n
Backing the South to complete what it described as the remaining four years of the region’s turn under the country’s informal power-sharing arrangement, the forum also demanded an independent investigation into the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal and warned that Nigerians’ patience should no longer be taken for granted.<\/p>\n
The interventions by the bishops and Christian elders come against the backdrop of continuing national debate over President Tinubu’s sweeping economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy, foreign exchange unification, tax reforms and broader fiscal restructuring introduced since he assumed office in May 2023.<\/p>\n
While the administration argues the reforms have strengthened public finances, boosted foreign reserves, improved investor confidence and laid the foundation for long-term growth, many Nigerians continue to struggle with rising food prices, transport costs, school fees, healthcare expenses, rent and electricity bills.<\/p>\n
Economists have repeatedly observed that improvements in macroeconomic indicators often take time to translate into better living standards, leaving many households under severe financial pressure despite signs of fiscal stabilisation.<\/p>\n
The Catholic bishops’ concerns echo similar warnings from labour unions, civil society groups, business organisations and development experts, who have argued that economic reforms must be accompanied by stronger social protection and visible reductions in the cost of governance if they are to retain public confidence.<\/p>\n
The bishops also questioned whether political leaders had demonstrated the same level of sacrifice being demanded of ordinary citizens, pointing to persistent public concerns over government spending on official convoys, office renovations and luxury vehicles during a period of widespread hardship.<\/p>\n
Historically, the Catholic Church has remained one of Nigeria’s most outspoken voices on governance, corruption, elections, insecurity and social justice, regularly issuing communiqu\u00e9s urging governments to strengthen democratic institutions and protect vulnerable citizens.<\/p>\n
Onaiyekan himself has, over the years, consistently spoken on electoral reforms, democratic accountability, interfaith relations and insecurity, warning earlier this year that Nigeria’s democratic institutions were facing increasing strain.<\/p>\n
The latest exchange also unfolded against continuing concerns over kidnappings and violent attacks across several parts of the country, despite repeated assurances by the Federal Government that security operations have recorded significant gains.<\/p>\n
However, the Presidency responded forcefully to Onaiyekan’s remarks, accusing the respected cleric of breaching the confidentiality of a private meeting and venturing into partisan politics.<\/p>\n
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Daniel Bwala, argued that the cardinal was expressing the views of the Catholic Church rather than those of Christians generally, alleging that the institution had been sympathetic to Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 elections.<\/p>\n
“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians; he was speaking for Catholics, the very institutions rooting for Peter Obi\u2014indeed, likely the same institution where Peter Obi declared in 2022, ‘Take back your country,'” Bwala wrote on his verified X account.<\/p>\n
He added that many Catholics did not support Obi and cautioned against portraying the Church as politically united behind any individual.<\/p>\n
Bwala also defended President Tinubu’s position during the meeting, insisting that the President was entitled to reject the bishops’ conclusions based on economic data and measurable indicators.<\/p>\n
“The President was well within his right to disagree with their assertion regarding Nigeria’s economy based purely on facts, statistics and numbers put into context,” he stated.<\/p>\n
He further accused Onaiyekan of applying double standards, arguing that religious leaders often encourage worshippers to remain hopeful despite hardship but appeared unwilling to adopt the same approach in discussing national affairs.<\/p>\n
The presidential spokesman also maintained that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) remains the recognised umbrella body for Christians and should continue to uphold political neutrality, warning that religious institutions risk blurring the line between spiritual leadership and partisan politics when they become openly aligned with political interests.<\/p>\n
In a separate rebuttal, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described Onaiyekan’s public narration of the meeting as “fundamentally inappropriate.”<\/p>\n
According to Ajayi, the audience with the President was granted in good faith after being requested by the bishops and should have remained confidential.<\/p>\n
He rejected claims that Tinubu dismissed Nigeria’s economic and security challenges, saying the President acknowledged the country’s difficulties but disagreed with the bishops’ characterisation of a “bleeding nation.”<\/p>\n
Ajayi said Tinubu instead explained that Nigeria was gradually emerging from years of fiscal and economic decline, pointing to improved fiscal stability, increased revenue allocations to states, more regular payment of salaries and pensions, and measurable gains in security operations.<\/p>\n
On insecurity, Ajayi argued that while the bishops relied largely on media reports, the President receives classified intelligence and battlefield updates as Commander-in-Chief, giving him a broader operational picture.<\/p>\n
He also dismissed suggestions that Tinubu is insulated from reality, insisting the President receives competing advice, conflicting intelligence and uncomfortable assessments daily through official reports, newspapers and engagements with various stakeholders.<\/p>\n
“What truth does anyone really need to tell President Tinubu that he does not already know?” Ajayi asked.<\/p>\n
While affirming the right of religious leaders to raise moral concerns, he maintained that Onaiyekan crossed a line by publicly interpreting discussions from a confidential meeting.<\/p>\n
“Clerical office carries not only influence but also responsibilities, including discretion, restraint and respect for the confidentiality of high-level discussions,” Ajayi said. “Privileged access to the President should not be converted into a platform for public post-meeting commentary.”<\/p>\n
The increasingly public war of words has intensified national debate over whether Nigeria’s economic progress should be measured primarily through improved fiscal indicators and investor confidence, or by the ability of ordinary citizens to afford food, healthcare, transportation, education and other basic necessities.<\/p>\n
As political activities ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum, the exchange has also reignited questions about the role of religious leaders in speaking truth to power, the limits of political neutrality, and the growing tension between government optimism and the lived experiences of millions of Nigerians still grappling with the country’s economic transition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A peep into a closed-door meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigeria’s Catholic bishops has exposed a sharp divide over the true state of the nation, with Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, revealing that the President flatly rejected the bishops’ grim assessment of worsening hardship, insisting instead that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":99862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1818,5605,8568,8569,1127,8567,4431,56],"class_list":["post-99861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-ajayi","tag-bwala","tag-catholic-bishops","tag-christian-elders","tag-economy","tag-onaiyakan","tag-politics","tag-tinubu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=99861"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99865,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99861\/revisions\/99865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/99862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=99861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=99861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=99861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}