Former Minister of Transportation and vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has defended Cardinal John Onaiyekan against allegations that the cleric is politically biased.
Amaechi made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, responding to claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja was not neutral during the 2023 general election.
The former Rivers State governor said he paused mourning his late mother to appear on the programme because he considered it necessary to defend his faith amid the controversy.
“He supports nobody. I see Cardinal Onaiyekan regularly, I worship at his chapel. He has no political leaning, the Catholic Church has no political leaning. Cardinal Onaiyekan himself supports nobody,” Amaechi said.
He added that his conversations with the cardinal over the years convinced him the cleric’s concerns centred on the country’s worsening socio-economic conditions rather than partisan politics.
“I’ve had several conversations with him, the only thing that pains him is the level of indiscretion and poverty in the country,” he said.
Context of Allegations of Bias
The controversy began after Onaiyekan said in an interview with another news media, Arise TV, that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), an umbrella body of Nigeria’s Catholic bishops, had used a meeting with President Bola Tinubu to draw his attention to hardship facing Nigerians and concerns that his administration appeared focused on winning a second term in 2027.
Wike, speaking at his monthly media parley, argued that a religious leader perceived to be taking sides could not be viewed as impartial.
“If a religious leader is perceived or seen to be taking a side, which is very clear, it is very difficult for people to begin to see those comments as being helpful,” Wike said, adding that Onaiyekan’s political leanings were widely known and not hidden.
He also faulted the CBCN’s call for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain neutral ahead of 2027, asking the bishops what evidence supported the claim that the electoral body was biased.
Amaechi Accuses Presidency Of Insulting The Catholic Church
Amaechi accused Tinubu’s administration of insulting the Catholic Church and Christians more broadly, urging the presidency to show greater respect for religious leaders.
He argued the bishops’ meeting with Tinubu was legitimately public because journalists and cameras were present, and that criticising the clerics afterward amounted to an attack on the church.
“A Cardinal is somebody who could have been Pope or someone who votes for Popes. When you insult a Cardinal, you are insulting about 35 million Catholics,” he said.
He recalled that the Catholic Church had criticised former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over insecurity without facing similar backlash.
“When the Catholic Church came after Buhari, I was in Buhari’s government. We all kept quiet and looked at what we should do. We did not insult the bishops,” he said.
Northern Youths Come to Cardinal’s Defence
The dispute has drawn reactions from other groups. The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) declared support for Onaiyekan, saying his remarks reflected the daily hardship of millions of Nigerians.
The Middle Belt Forum, a socio-cultural body representing minority ethnic groups in central Nigeria, also backed the cardinal, arguing that the naira’s depreciation and rising living costs since Tinubu’s economic reforms had left many families worse off despite a higher minimum wage.
The Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN), representing the church’s baptised lay members, said Onaiyekan’s comments were meant to “call the nation to conscience” rather than embarrass the government, and urged the presidency and the church to sustain dialogue.
Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala had earlier alleged the Catholic Church was rooting for Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of 2027, a claim Onaiyekan’s supporters have rejected.
Amaechi maintained he was avoiding partisan politics for now, saying he would address political matters after completing his mother’s mourning period.
