John Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, stated that President Bola Tinubu rejected the Catholic bishops’ assessment of Nigeria’s economy and insecurity. He made the remarks during an interview on the Arise News programme Prime Time on Friday.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria met Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on July 28, 2026. The bishops raised concerns about the economy, insecurity and the political climate.
Onaiyekan said the bishops told Tinubu that the economy was not helping poor people and that the nation was bleeding. He recalled Tinubu’s direct reply.
“When the nation is bleeding, you cannot expect a polite meeting with the Head of State. We told him the economy is not helping our poor people; he told us the economy is doing fine. Frankly speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” Onaiyekan said. He added that the president insisted the nation was not bleeding.
Onaiyekan explained that the bishops did not expect agreement. They had fulfilled their responsibility by presenting their collective position after wide consultations.
“We didn’t expect him to agree with us. We have done our duty, we have delivered our message, and we have a feeling that somehow, along the line, somebody will show him a few of the things we said,” he said.
He noted that many people around the president often present a rosy picture. The bishops felt an obligation to state the reality they saw.
The statement presented at the meeting reflected the position of the full Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Onaiyekan stressed that the bishops held no political ambitions. They spoke only out of duty on issues affecting Nigerians.
