FG Seeks Renewed Pact With Faith Leaders as Obi, Kwankwaso Back Onaiyekan
The Federal Government has moved to ease escalating tensions with the Catholic Church, pledging to deepen consultations with faith-based organisations, as opposition figures Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso publicly threw their support behind Cardinal John Onaiyekan in his continuing standoff with the Presidency.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, issued a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, restating the administration’s readiness to strengthen its partnership with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and other religious and civil society stakeholders. Akume said many of Nigeria’s challenges require collaboration across religious communities, traditional institutions, civil society, and the private sector, describing such cooperation as central to advancing the national interest. He added that his office would sustain engagement with CBCN leadership and other relevant stakeholders on the concerns raised during their meeting with the President.
The conciliatory tone marks a notable shift from the sharp criticism that had characterised the Presidency’s earlier response to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja. The controversy began after a July 28 meeting between President Bola Tinubu and a 19-member CBCN delegation, led by its president, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, during which the bishops raised concerns over insecurity, economic hardship, democracy, and election funding. Onaiyekan later discussed aspects of the private meeting during an appearance on Arise Television, prompting presidential aides to accuse him of breaching confidentiality and, separately, of being more political than spiritual in his interventions.
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi weighed in on the dispute, defending the bishops’ right to speak candidly to government. In a statement titled “When a Government Declares War on the Truth,” Obi warned that attacks on religious leaders who raise national concerns could weaken democratic values and distract from the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians. He drew a comparison to Pope John Paul II’s 1998 visit to Nigeria, during which the pontiff openly challenged the late General Sani Abacha without facing public vilification, and questioned why the government’s posture toward the Catholic Church appeared to have shifted despite Tinubu’s earlier show of respect for the church at Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration in Rome.
Obi’s running mate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, also praised the Catholic bishops for their courage, dismissing suggestions that their comments on insecurity and rising living costs were politically motivated. The former Kano State governor argued the clerics’ concerns reflected the daily experiences of millions of Nigerians and urged authorities to embrace accountability.
The row has drawn in a wide range of voices beyond the political sphere, including the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, which defended Onaiyekan’s remarks as an effort to call the nation to conscience, as well as commentary noting the unusual number of practising Catholics occupying senior positions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). For his part, Cardinal Onaiyekan has indicated he does not intend to prolong the public exchange, while separately weighing in on Osun State’s upcoming August 15 governorship election, where he recently facilitated a peace accord among contesting political parties.
With the Federal Government now signalling a desire to reset relations with faith leaders, attention turns to whether the promised consultations translate into concrete engagement, as the underlying tensions between the Presidency and religious voices continue to simmer ahead of the 2027 general election.
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