ABUJA — In a dramatic shift of posture, the Federal Government has announced plans to deepen formal consultations with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), effectively walking back aggressive rhetoric launched by presidential aides against senior Catholic clergy.
The assurance was conveyed in an official statement issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. Akume clarified that the Tinubu administration remains fully open to sincere counsel from religious institutions, describing constructive engagement with the CBCN and other faith-based organizations as essential to navigating Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
The official intervention comes in the wake of mounting public outrage over inflammatory comments made by presidential media aides, notably Special Adviser Daniel Bwala and Temitope Ajayi. The aides had publicly attacked Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, and the CBCN, accusing the high-ranking cardinal of playing partisan politics and acting as a proxy for opposition interests.
Bwala’s outburst followed an interview by Cardinal Onaiyekan on Arise Television, during which the prelate disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had rejected the CBCN’s candid assessment regarding widespread hunger, worsening insecurity, and electoral concerns presented during a closed-door Villa meeting.
Moving to calm political waters, SGF Akume stated that discussions between the President and the Catholic bishops were “candid, respectful, and constructive,” explicitly rejecting claims of hostility or attempts by the ruling administration to establish a one-party state. He emphasized that the SGF’s office will sustain ongoing dialogue with the Church leadership on socio-economic reforms, electoral credibility, and national cohesion.
Political observers and civil society watchers view the SGF’s diplomatic outreach as an implicit retreat by the presidency, undercutting overzealous political aides whose public attacks on respected religious authorities had triggered widespread condemnation across the country.
