You’re More Political Than Spiritual – Presidency Fires Back At Cardinal Onaiyekan

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has described the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, as being ‘more political than spiritual’ following his criticism of the president’s response to concerns raised by Catholic bishops about the state of the nation.

Bwala made the remarks in a post on his verified X account while reacting to Onaiyekan’s interview on Arise Television, where the cleric said President Tinubu dismissed concerns expressed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) during a recent meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to Onaiyekan, the bishops told the president that the situation in Nigeria was far more difficult than the optimistic picture often presented by his aides and associates.

“The president rejected our concerns of the country. Nigeria is bleeding. I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy. Not even his colleagues who were there,” Onaiyekan said during the interview.

In response, the presidential aide argued that Onaiyekan was expressing the position of the Catholic Church rather than that of the wider Christian community, alleging that the institution had political leanings in support of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians; he was speaking for Catholics, the very institution rooting for Peter Obi. Therefore, the Cardinal is more political than spiritual. And not all Catholic members are supporting Peter Obi,” Bwala wrote.

He maintained that President Tinubu was justified in rejecting the bishops’ assessment of the country’s economic situation, insisting that the President’s position was based on “facts, statistics and numbers put into context.”

Bwala further argued that there is a distinction between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and broader Christian bodies, saying the latter should remain neutral in political matters.

“There is a body comprising all Christians, including the Catholics and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and that body’s position is neutral and should be so; otherwise it is political,”he stated.

The presidential spokesman also took a swipe at the cleric, claiming it was ironic for religious leaders to acknowledge hardship publicly while encouraging their members to make positive declarations despite difficult economic realities.

“Ironically, the same priest would rebuke their members if the members said ‘we are suffering or we are poor’ they would tell them to rather say ‘we are doing great and or we are rich even when they are suffering or poor’,” he stated.