Former Minister of Transportation and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Rotimi Amaechi, has defended Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan against allegations that his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration was politically motivated.
Amaechi said the former Archbishop of Abuja was not backing any political party or candidate but was speaking out over the hardship, poverty and corruption confronting Nigerians.
The former Minister of Transportation made the remarks on Tuesday during an appearance 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 argued that Onaiyekan merely expressed genuine concerns about the state of the nation.
“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 had done nothing wrong by speaking publicly and insisted that religious leaders have a duty to hold governments accountable whenever they believe Nigerians are suffering.
He also criticised the Presidency’s response to Onaiyekan, saying government officials should engage religious leaders with respect rather than attempt to silence them.
The controversy followed a meeting last week between President Tinubu and a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the Presidential Villa.
Speaking after the meeting, Onaiyekan said the bishops told the President that Nigeria was “bleeding” and that many citizens were grappling with severe economic hardship. He also claimed President Tinubu rejected that assessment, insisting the economy was performing well.
The Cardinal further disclosed that the bishops raised concerns about the 2027 general election and the need to safeguard the credibility of the electoral process.
His remarks drew criticism from the Presidency, with presidential aides accusing him of making a private meeting public and misrepresenting what transpired. They also defended the administration’s economic policies, insisting the government’s reforms were producing positive results.
Onaiyekan also alleged that the President was being shielded from the realities facing Nigerians by some of his aides and warned that the administration appeared determined to retain power in the 2027 elections.
Fresh reactions emerged on Tuesday after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused the Cardinal of political bias, questioned his neutrality and suggested his criticisms were driven by sympathy for opposition figures.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, however, backed Onaiyekan, faulting the Presidency’s reaction and urging the government to focus on addressing the country’s economic and security challenges instead of attacking the cleric.
