August 1, 2026
ABUJA, Nigeria — Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, has accused the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, of making politically motivated remarks rather than speaking as a neutral religious leader.
Bwala made the comments in a post on X while reacting to recent remarks by Cardinal Onaiyekan concerning Nigeria’s economy and the Tinubu administration.
The cardinal had disclosed details of a closed-door meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), stating that the bishops presented what they described as the harsh economic realities facing Nigerians.
According to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the bishops chose to give the President an honest assessment of the country’s worsening economic and social conditions, adding that President Tinubu disagreed with their evaluation and maintained that the economy was improving.
Reacting to the comments, Bwala alleged that Cardinal Onaiyekan was expressing the views of Catholic institutions that he claimed are sympathetic to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, rather than representing the broader Christian community.
He further argued that the President was justified in rejecting the bishops’ assessment, saying his position was based on economic data, statistics and government records.
Bwala also maintained that not all Catholics support Peter Obi and insisted that broader Christian organisations in Nigeria should remain politically neutral.
The exchange follows renewed public debate over Nigeria’s economic situation and the role of religious leaders in commenting on national political issues ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As of the time of filing this report, Cardinal John Onaiyekan had not publicly responded to Bwala’s latest remarks.
Reporting by SUNTV Global Channel.
