Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has described recent attacks on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, as deeply troubling, warning that Nigeria’s challenges continue to deepen as the government becomes increasingly intolerant of truth and hostile to those who speak about the sufferings of the people.
Obi, in a post on X handle noted that President Donald Trump of America recently described Nigeria as “a now disgraced country,” noting that the challenges continue to deteriorate
each passing day.
He said the Catholic Church has never functioned as an opposition party in Nigeria, noting that across military regimes and successive democratic administrations, the Church 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.
According to him, the Catholic Church’s interventions are driven by a moral obligation, rooted in Christian social teaching, to defend truth, justice, and the common good, the same quality, he said, applies to Nigeria’s major religious organisations.
“Bodies such as Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) have repeatedly raised concerns over economic hardship, inflation, and insecurity,” Obi said. “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.”
The former governor said leaders must be gracious enough to listen to people and organisations that speak the truth and genuinely criticise them when things are not going in the right direction. Saying that as Governor, he had the opportunity of working with a very strong Council of Traditional Rulers, led by the Obi of Onitsha, and religious bodies that consistently criticised him and offered suggestions. “This contributed greatly to our success in Anambra State, especially in critical areas like education and health,” he added.
Obi said even in 1998, when Pope John Paul II visited Nigeria and told General Abacha some hard truths, including about the incarceration of Chief Moshood Abiola, nobody vilified him.
He recalled that during the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome, to demonstrate his purported commitment to and respect for the Catholic Church, President Bola Tinubu arrived in Rome days before the event, ahead of most other visiting dignitaries, including Catholics such as the U.S. Vice President, JD Vance. He participated in the liturgy, queued with other world leaders to greet the Holy Father, and displayed deep respect for the moral authority of the Church. However, he said back in Nigeria, that posture has now changed completely.
“What is playing out today also reveals how political leaders sometimes exploit religion and ethnicity to divide the people. Even when it was obvious that the CBCN was speaking on issues affecting Nigerians across religious and ethnic boundaries, aides to the President immediately reduced it to a “religious affair.” 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.
According to him, 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. These, he said, are realities echoed by religious leaders across the country, to whom successive governments gave thanks and promised to look into their observations.
Obi said rather than address these concerns or explain the measures in place to ameliorate them, President Bola Tinubu’s aides and supporters responded with vicious attacks, particularly against Cardinal John Onaiyekan, with little regard for his age, stature, and accomplishments.
