Onaiyekan refused to recognize Tinubu as President in 2023 – Bishop Adegbite

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, has recalled that Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan said he would not recognise Bola Tinubu as President until the Supreme Court ruled on the 2023 presidential election petitions.

Adegbite, a Methodist bishop, made the disclosure while fielding questions on TVC on Thursday.

He was reacting to political prophecies ahead of the 2027 presidential election and urged Nigerians to assess political candidates based on their performance rather than predictions by religious leaders.

According to him, some clerics who made predictions about the outcome of the 2023 presidential election were proved wrong.

Adegbite said that following Tinubu’s declaration as winner of the 2023 presidential election, Onaiyekan had declined to recognise him as president pending the outcome of the legal challenges at the Supreme Court.

“In 2023, when President Tinubu was declared the winner, Cardinal Onaiyekan said he would not recognise Mr President until the Supreme Court gave its verdict.

“But we said Nigerians had voted and we have a President, and until the decision is overturned by the Supreme Court, that’s when you can speak. But for him to say we don’t have a president, we told him at that time that we have a president,” he said.

The NCPC boss urged political actors and their supporters to promote their preferred candidates without attacking opponents.

“You can have your own candidate, but don’t run down other people’s candidates. Sell your own candidate. Let people see what your candidate has done to justify becoming the President of Nigeria,” he said.

Adegbite also said the performance of the Tinubu administration would influence Nigerians’ decision ahead of the 2027 election.

He cited ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, as examples of projects that could shape public perception of the administration.

“The work of Mr President will speak for him,” Adegbite said.

He further criticised the growing trend of political prophecies by religious leaders, alleging that some clerics make such declarations to attract public attention and increase their social media following.

“They only want attention. They want to attract crowds and traffic to their social media handles,” he said.