Onaiyekan’s Criticism of Tinubu Is Politically Motivated — Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has questioned the neutrality of the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, alleging that the cleric openly took sides during the 2023 general election.

Wike made the remarks during a media parley on Tuesday, August 4. The former Rivers State governor was asked to respond to the comments by Onaiyekan following a recent meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

After the meeting, the cardinal said in an interview that those around President Tinubu were presenting a “rosy picture” of the country’s situation to him and suggested that the President was already focused on securing victory in the 2027 presidential election.

The Presidency, in its response, criticised Onaiyekan for publicly discussing details of the closed-door meeting, describing the disclosure as an abuse of privilege.

Reacting to the controversy, Wike argued that public comments by religious leaders should be balanced, saying that consistent criticism without acknowledging government achievements could be interpreted as politically motivated. He says everyone knows who Onaiyekan is supporting.