“You are rooting for Obi”: Bwala fires back at Cardinal Onaiyekan over Tinubu criticism

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has fired back at Cardinal John Onaiyekan over the cleric’s criticism of the President’s administration, describing him as “more political than spiritual.”

Bwala was reacting to comments made by Onaiyekan, the former Archbishop of Abuja, during an appearance on Prime Time on Arise Television, where the cardinal said people around Tinubu were giving the President a “rosy picture” of the country instead of the harsh realities facing Nigerians.

Onaiyekan’s remarks followed a meeting between President Tinubu and the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by its president, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the bishops presented a speech expressing concern over the country’s economic hardship and the plight of ordinary Nigerians. Responding, Tinubu defended his administration, saying the economy was stabilising, the era of prolonged ASUU strikes had ended, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remained neutral.

Speaking on Arise Television, Onaiyekan said the bishops deliberately presented the President with what they believed was the true state of the nation.

“I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy, nor even his colleagues who were there,” the cardinal said.

“We knew that this is different from the kind of statements that our president keeps receiving from all kinds of people.

“And that is one of the things that worries us, that there are so many people hanging around Mr President giving a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not.

“Indeed, we have the obligation to help him appreciate the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves. That is the reality that we painted, which I know is not the kind of thing he wanted to hear, and the reply shows very clearly.”

Onaiyekan added that the meeting was not expected to be cordial because, according to him, “the nation is bleeding.”

He said Tinubu rejected the bishops’ assessment, insisting that the country was not bleeding and that the economy was improving.

“Practically speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” the cardinal said.

The former Archbishop also expressed concern over the 2027 elections, alleging that the current administration appeared determined to retain power by every possible means.

“We are worried about the fact that we see clearly that our government is bent on winning by all means,” he said.

“Unfortunately, they have a lot of means at their disposal to win. Even if we had a free and fair election, the votes of the people may not count.”

Reacting in a post on X, Bwala dismissed the cardinal’s comments, arguing that Onaiyekan was expressing political opinions rather than spiritual views.

“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians; he was speaking for Catholics, the very institution rooting for Peter Obi, in fact, likely the institution where Peter Obi also said in 2022, ‘Take back your country,’” Bwala wrote.

“Therefore, the Cardinal is more political than spiritual. And not all Catholic members are supporting Peter Obi.”

Bwala defended President Tinubu’s response to the bishops, saying the President was entitled to disagree with their assessment of the economy because his position was based on “facts, statistics and numbers put into context.”

He also took issue with the cardinal’s description of the country’s condition.

“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’ or ‘We are rich,’ even when they are suffering or poor,” Bwala said.

The presidential aide further argued that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other umbrella Christian bodies maintain neutral positions on political matters, unlike, in his view, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

“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 added.