Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has defended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, accusing the Presidency of responding to legitimate criticism with attacks instead of addressing the country’s challenges.
In a statement posted on his official social media page on Wednesday, Obi described the backlash against the bishops and the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja as “deeply troubling,” insisting that the Catholic Church has always spoken out on national issues irrespective of the government in power.
“The Catholic Church has never functioned as an opposition party in Nigeria. Across military regimes and successive democratic administrations, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has maintained a principled voice on national issues and the nation’s conscience, commending governments when they deserved commendation and speaking the truth whenever national conscience demanded it,” he said.
Obi argued that other major religious organisations had also consistently raised concerns over insecurity, inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of living because they interact directly with affected Nigerians.
“Living among the people, religious leaders often encounter the suffering of citizens firsthand. They speak because they witness families struggling with rising food prices, unemployment, and the fear created by kidnappings and insecurity,” he said.
The former governor urged political leaders to embrace constructive criticism, recalling that he benefited from feedback from traditional rulers and religious leaders while serving as governor of Anambra State.
“As leaders, we should be gracious enough to listen to people and organisations that speak the truth to us and genuinely criticise us when things are not going in the right direction,” Obi stated.
He criticised what he described as attempts by presidential aides to portray the disagreement with the bishops as a religious issue, arguing that Nigeria’s economic and security challenges affect all citizens regardless of faith or ethnicity.
“The question is: are insecurity, poverty, inflation, unemployment, and hardship problems exclusive to a particular faith? Do these challenges recognise religious or tribal boundaries?” he asked.
Obi maintained that the bishops merely reflected the realities confronting millions of Nigerians, adding that the government’s response should have focused on addressing those concerns rather than attacking critics.
“The bishops merely expressed what millions of Nigerians experience daily: insecurity has worsened, poverty is deepening, inflation is crippling families, businesses are struggling, and hope is fading,” he said.
He added that, “Rather than address these concerns or explain the measures in place to ameliorate them, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s aides and supporters responded with vicious attacks, particularly against Cardinal John Onaiyekan, with little regard for his age, stature, and accomplishments.”
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