A senior Catholic prelate has voiced concern that President Bola Tinubu’s government is determined to retain power in the 2027 elections “by all means”.
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, former archbishop of Abuja, made the remarks on Friday during an appearance on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’ programme. His comments came days after the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) met Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
Onaiyekan said the bishops had presented a carefully prepared assessment of the nation’s challenges, stressing that the country was “bleeding” and that economic hardship was weighing heavily on ordinary citizens. He noted that the president and some officials present appeared “not looking very happy” as the bishops delivered a message different from the usual feedback Tinubu receives.
“I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy nor even his colleagues who were there,” Onaiyekan 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.”
He added that the bishops felt an obligation to help the president appreciate the true situation. Tinubu, according to Onaiyekan, rejected the assessment, insisting the country was not bleeding and that the economy was “doing fine.” “Practically speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” the cardinal said.
Turning to the 2027 polls, Onaiyekan expressed particular worry about the government’s resolve.
“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.”
He warned that failure to ensure elections in which the choices of Nigerians are respected could create serious difficulties for the country. The CBCN visit had earlier seen the bishops highlight national concerns, while Tinubu defended his administration’s record, maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission was neutral, and said political opponents were “afraid of their own shadows.”
