Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Rotimi Amaechi, has defended Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan against accusations that his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration was politically driven.
Amaechi said the former Archbishop of Abuja was not supporting any political party or candidate but was only expressing concerns over the growing challenges facing Nigerians, including poverty, hardship and corruption.
The former minister made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television.
“He supports nobody. I see Cardinal Onaiyekan regularly; I worship in his private chapel. Cardinal Onaiyekan himself supports nobody. I have had several conversations with him. The only thing that pains him is the level of indiscretion and poverty in the country and corruption. He worries about that,” Amaechi said.
Rejecting claims that the Cardinal’s comments were politically motivated, Amaechi said Onaiyekan was only voicing genuine concerns about the condition of the country.
“I just think that they tried to intimidate him, because election is very far away, so they are trying to intimidate him the way they are trying to intimidate the population,” he said.
Amaechi maintained that the cleric was within his rights to speak publicly on national issues, adding that religious leaders have a responsibility to hold governments accountable when citizens are facing difficulties.
He also criticised the Presidency’s reaction to Onaiyekan’s comments, saying government officials should engage religious leaders respectfully rather than attempt to suppress their views.
The controversy followed a recent meeting between President Tinubu and a delegation from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the Presidential Villa.
After the meeting, Onaiyekan said the bishops informed the President that Nigeria was “bleeding” and that many citizens were struggling with severe economic challenges. He also claimed Tinubu disagreed with that assessment and maintained that the economy was improving.
The Cardinal further revealed that the bishops raised concerns about the 2027 general elections and the importance of ensuring a credible electoral process.
His comments sparked reactions from the Presidency, with some presidential aides accusing him of disclosing details of a private meeting and presenting a misleading account of the discussion. They also defended the administration’s economic policies, insisting that government reforms were yielding positive outcomes.
Onaiyekan later alleged that some aides were shielding the President from the realities faced by Nigerians and warned that the administration appeared focused on retaining power in 2027.
Further reactions emerged after Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused the Cardinal of political bias, questioned his neutrality and suggested that his criticism reflected sympathy for opposition figures.
However, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar supported Onaiyekan, criticising the Presidency’s response and urging the government to concentrate on tackling the country’s economic and security challenges.