African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Presidency’s attack on the Catholic Church and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, describing it as further evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s growing intolerance of dissent and uncomfortable truths.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said it was unfortunate and dangerous that the Presidency chose intimidation, ridicule and political attacks instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message.
“The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock. Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power,” the statement read.
Atiku noted that the Catholic Bishops demonstrated rare courage by confronting the President with the bitter truth about the state of the nation.
He said this is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do, not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth.
He urged other religious leaders, regardless of denomination or faith, to emulate this example whenever the nation’s interest demands it.
The former vice president criticised the Presidency’s commentary against Cardinal Onaiyekan, describing the language as unbecoming of a government and amounting to sheer arrogance towards the Church and millions of Nigerians who hold the Cardinal and the institution he represents in high esteem.
He said such haughtiness betrays a government that has lost respect for independent voices.
Atiku accused the media managers of the Tinubu administration of attempting to cancel and overwrite the voices of the revered Catholic Bishops by selectively editing and reframing their engagement with the President in order to manufacture a narrative favourable to the government.
He called this an affront to the integrity, credibility and moral authority of the bishops.
He defended Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to the press after the Presidency sought to dominate and distort the public conversation, saying it was simply an effort to place the facts on record.
Such a responsible act, he argued, cannot justify the vile, uncouth and disrespectful reaction that followed from Tinubu’s media handlers.
Resorting to insults instead of addressing the issues only exposes the bankruptcy of their arguments, he added.
“It is disappointing that the Presidency has chosen to attack a respected servant of God simply because he refused to join the growing army of sycophants whose only assignment is to applaud failure and defend the indefensible,” the statement concluded.
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