Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has strongly criticized the Presidency for its response to comments made by the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, a cardinal. Amaechi described the attacks as an insult to the Catholic Church and the Christian faith, escalating a political and religious dispute that has captured national attention.
Amaechi Defends Cardinal's Public Comments
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Tuesday, Amaechi defended Onaiyekan's recent media interview. The cleric had revealed details of a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House, Abuja. During the interview, Onaiyekan said President Tinubu's facial expression showed dissatisfaction with the bishops' assessment of the economy, and that Tinubu argued the economy was improving instead of accepting their concerns.
Some presidential aides criticized Onaiyekan for discussing the issues publicly, with one accusing him of abusing "clerical privilege." However, Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and a Catholic, insisted there was nothing inappropriate about the cleric speaking publicly, especially since the meeting was held in the presence of journalists and television cameras.
'Every Public Meeting with the President is Public'
"The reason the bishops went to see the president was to discuss issues concerning the state of the nation and concerns about how credible the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be during the general election," Amaechi said. He argued that the presidency ought to accord the Catholic Church and its leaders the respect due to their offices rather than subjecting them to public criticism.
Amaechi emphasized that Catholic bishops and cardinals hold highly respected positions comparable to senior public officials and should be treated accordingly. "Every public meeting with the president is public. The moment you allow cameras into the office, it is no longer a private meeting. If the president wanted a private meeting, there would be no cameras and no journalists," he said.
He also faulted comments credited to the presidency suggesting that "all is fair in politics," insisting that such a position could not justify attacks on religious leaders.
'Insulting My Faith'
The former minister said the criticism directed at Onaiyekan had become an attack on his Christian faith. "I believe in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So when a group of people insult my faith, then I must stand up and protect it by all means. What the presidency is doing is insulting my faith. They are also insulting the Catholic Church," he said.
To illustrate his point, Amaechi compared the influence of Catholic bishops with that of elected governors. He noted that the Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt oversees the entire Rivers ecclesiastical area, just as the governor administers Rivers State. Similarly, the Bishop of Sokoto has spiritual oversight across Sokoto State. "You don't insult a bishop simply because he went to see the president," he said.
Comparison with Buhari Administration
Amaechi recalled that Catholic bishops openly criticized the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari over insecurity but were not subjected to similar attacks by the government. "When the Catholic Church came after Buhari, we all kept quiet and looked for solutions to what we could do. We did not attack anyone at that time," he said.
He urged government officials to refrain from disparaging religious leaders. "They should leave the Catholic Church alone. They should respect God, respect the Christian faith and respect our bishops," he added.
Dismisses Wike's Comments
During the interview, Amaechi also dismissed recent comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. Responding to Wike's claim that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar chose him as his running mate because of money, Amaechi said he would not engage in a public exchange with the FCT minister. "I don't respond to my subordinates. Wike never hired me," he said.
Amaechi's comments come amid growing political exchanges between leading opposition figures and the Presidency ahead of the 2027 general election, with debates increasingly extending beyond politics to issues involving religious leaders and public institutions.
