Presidency Slams Onaiyekan for “Abuse of Clerical Privilege” Over Tinubu Meeting

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Cardinal John Onaiyekan

Presidency Slams Onaiyekan for “Abuse of Clerical Privilege” Over Tinubu Meeting

The Presidency has strongly criticized Cardinal John Onaiyekan for publicly disclosing details of a private meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). The government described his television interview as “an abuse of clerical privilege” and accused him of acting as a “proxy for opposition political elements.”

The Presidency has launched a scathing attack on Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, over his public comments regarding the recent closed-door meeting between President Bola Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). The government described his account as inappropriate and a breach of the confidence expected from such high-level engagements.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said Onaiyekan’s decision to discuss the private meeting during an interview on ARISE NEWS amounted to an abuse of clerical privilege. “There is something fundamentally inappropriate about Cardinal John Onaiyekan granting a television interview to offer his own account and interpretation of what transpired during the private meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu. It is, in my view, an abuse of clerical privilege,” Ajayi said. The reaction followed Onaiyekan’s interview in which he claimed that people around President Tinubu were giving him a “rosy picture” of the country and that the bishops felt obliged to present the President with the realities facing Nigerians. According to the cardinal, the bishops raised concerns about worsening economic hardship, insecurity, and the state of democracy, but the President disagreed with their conclusions.

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Ajayi said the bishops were freely allowed to present their concerns on security, the economy, education, democracy, and other national issues, adding that President Tinubu listened patiently before responding to every issue raised. According to him, disagreement with the bishops’ assessment did not amount to dismissing their concerns. “The bishops were notably acerbic in their submission, but the President listened to them patiently and responded,” Ajayi stated. The presidential spokesman said Tinubu challenged what he considered an incomplete assessment of the country’s situation, arguing that while Nigeria still faces significant economic and security challenges, measurable progress has been made. “The President argued that the bishops’ characterisation of the country’s current condition was incomplete and, in several respects, inaccurate. He pointed to measurable progress on the economic, social, and security fronts,” Ajayi said. Ajayi said the President acknowledged that many Nigerians were still experiencing hardship but insisted that his administration had pulled the country away from a fiscal crisis and laid the foundation for recovery. The statement also highlighted improvements in state finances, including more regular payment of salaries and pensions, as evidence that government reforms were yielding results. On the issue of schools, Ajayi said the President explained that ownership of schools was a matter within the jurisdiction of state governments under the Constitution, urging the bishops to engage governors on the matter. He added that Tinubu reminded the delegation that he returned mission schools in Lagos State while he was governor of the state.

On security, the Presidency rejected the suggestion that Tinubu was detached from the realities on the ground, saying the President has access to intelligence unavailable to the general public. “As Commander-in-Chief, he receives operational briefings, intelligence assessments, and battlefield reports unavailable to the general public,” Ajayi said. Ajayi also dismissed Onaiyekan’s suggestion that those around the President were shielding him from the truth, insisting Tinubu has multiple independent channels through which he receives information about the country. “What truth does anyone really need to tell President Tinubu that he does not already know? As President, he has multiple channels for feeling the pulse of the country,” he said. According to the statement, the President reads an average of ten newspapers daily, monitors television discussions, receives security and economic briefings, and maintains contacts across different sectors of society.

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In a further criticism on Sunday, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, issued a fresh statement entitled “When the Cassock Abandons the Pulpit: The Bishops’ Partisan Mirage and Opposition Echoes,” accusing Onaiyekan of acting “as a proxy for opposition political elements.” Dare alleged that the Archbishop acted in bad faith by appearing on television to discuss what transpired during the meeting. In a separate statement, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, accused Onaiyekan of allowing politics to influence his comments, alleging that the Catholic Church had openly supported the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the 2023 general election.

However, the CBCN has backed Onaiyekan, with its President and Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso, saying his comments reflected the position of the Church. “Cardinal Onaiyekan did not deviate from the message of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, which I am leading. The text of my message is there at the CBCN Secretariat for anyone to see,” Ndagoso said. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also condemned the Presidency’s attack on the Catholic Church and Onaiyekan, describing it as yet another demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s growing intolerance of dissent. Atiku insisted that Catholic bishops are “shepherds with a moral obligation to speak truth to power” and demanded an apology to Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic faithful. The Northern Christian Association (NCA) said the presidential aides’ attack was capable of creating division within the Christian community, insisting that the Catholic Bishops spoke on issues affecting all Nigerians. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also defended Onaiyekan, saying he acted in the public interest by speaking on issues affecting Nigerians.