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| John Cardinal Onaiyekan |
The Peter Obi Media Office has weighed in on the unnecessary row over the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and its recent counsel to the presidency.
In a statement by spokesman Idris Zekeri Jnr, the office argues the dispute exposes a widespread governance problem: a powerful executive disconnected from everyday realities.
When presidential aides label the bishops’ pastoral observations about the cost-of-living crisis and security failings as “just one perspective” or a breach of protocol, they overlook the unique strategic value of moral, nonpartisan insight, the statement says.
It added that treating the bishops’ critique as partisan or alarmist is a misstep. The episcopacy does not speak as political antagonists but as trusted community watchdogs whose perspective strengthens governance. Far from forcing a political concession, listening to their sober, values-driven feedback is essential for effective leadership and responsive policy-making, the office advised.
Part of the statement reads:
“Unlike political appointees and state governors who often sanitise reports to protect their offices, bishops preside over vast, decentralised networks that reach deep into Nigeria's rural and urban peripheries.
“From remote parishes to community healthcare centres, clerics absorb the daily economic pain, food insecurity, and quiet desperation of citizens long before these issues register in official economic indicators.
“Power naturally creates an echo chamber. Advisers frequently tell leaders what they want to hear, emphasising macroeconomic metrics or reform milestones while glossing over human costs.
“Credible figures like Cardinal John Onaiyekan and Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso provide an unvarnished mirror, serving as an institutional check against presidential isolation.
“Religious leaders act as critical shock absorbers in times of deep social anxiety. When bishops voice public frustration, they provide a constructive, peaceful channel for popular discontent. Rebuffing their warnings risks alienating a vital institutional bridge between an overstretched state and an increasingly exhausted populace.
“The pastoral warnings presented by the CBCN are not designed to undermine the administration but to anchor policy in the lived experiences of everyday Nigerians.
“For President Tinubu, treating the clergy as trusted whistleblowers instead of political adversaries is essential to bridging the gap between macroeconomic projections and the realities on the street.”
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