The disagreement between the Presidency and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) over the state of the nation has widened, with the Northern Christian Association (NCA) throwing its support behind the bishops and accusing presidential aides of attempting to politicise a message they insist was delivered in the national interest.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the association criticised comments by the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, who had argued that Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, spoke only for the Catholic Church and not the broader Christian community.
The NCA described that position as divisive, maintaining that the concerns raised by the bishops reflected the experiences of millions of Nigerians facing economic hardship, insecurity and rising living costs rather than the interests of any particular denomination.
Chairman of the association, Rev. Joseph Hayab, said the Northern Christian Association represents Christians from diverse traditions, including the Catholic, Anglican, ECWA, Baptist, Methodist and Pentecostal churches, and would not allow attempts to create unnecessary divisions among believers.
“The bishops spoke on issues affecting every Nigerian,” Hayab said. “Their message was neither sectarian nor partisan. It reflected the daily realities confronting families across the country.”
He defended Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic bishops, describing them as respected religious leaders who met President Bola Tinubu to offer sincere counsel on the country’s economic conditions, worsening insecurity and democratic governance.
According to Hayab, government officials should focus on responding to the issues raised rather than questioning the motives of those who raised them.
He warned that poverty, unemployment and insecurity make no distinction between Christians and Muslims or between supporters of different political parties, urging public office holders to engage with criticism constructively instead of turning it into a religious or political contest.
The association’s intervention came after Daniel Bwala suggested that Cardinal Onaiyekan’s remarks should not be viewed as representing Nigerian Christians generally.
Bwala also alleged that the Catholic Church had supported Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, arguing that the Cardinal’s comments should be understood within that political context.
The Presidency has since reinforced that position.
In a separate statement titled “When the Cassock Abandons the Pulpit: The Bishops’ Partisan Mirage and Opposition Echoes,” the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, accused Cardinal Onaiyekan of abandoning the neutrality expected of religious leaders.
Dare argued that while the Presidency welcomed constructive engagement from faith leaders, such interventions lost moral authority when they appeared to mirror opposition political narratives.
He also defended President Tinubu’s economic reforms, maintaining that the administration inherited an economy burdened by unsustainable fuel subsidies, a distorted foreign exchange regime and severe fiscal pressures.
According to the Presidency, difficult reforms were unavoidable if Nigeria was to restore macroeconomic stability, attract investment and strengthen public finances after years of structural weaknesses.
The latest exchanges follow last week’s meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, where the bishops expressed concern over the country’s economic direction, insecurity and democratic climate.
Speaking afterwards during an interview on ARISE Television, Cardinal Onaiyekan disclosed that President Tinubu openly disagreed with the bishops’ assessment of national conditions but insisted they had fulfilled their responsibility by conveying what they believed to be the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.
The Archbishop Emeritus maintained that the bishops were not acting on behalf of any political party but were speaking as religious leaders with a duty to address issues affecting the lives and welfare of citizens.
The bishops also warned against what they described as growing threats to Nigeria’s democratic institutions, including concerns over electoral credibility and the concentration of political power, while calling for reforms that would strengthen public confidence in the country’s electoral process.
Although the Presidency rejected those concerns, insisting that President Tinubu remains committed to democratic governance and institutional reforms, Sunday’s intervention by the Northern Christian Association signals that the debate has moved beyond a disagreement between the government and the Catholic hierarchy.
The public exchange has evolved into a broader conversation about the role of religious leaders in national affairs, the limits of political criticism from the pulpit and the extent to which faith-based organisations should speak on issues of governance, economic policy and democratic accountability.
For now, neither side appears willing to retreat. While the Presidency insists that its reform programme should be judged by its long-term objectives, Christian leaders backing the bishops argue that any assessment of government performance must also reckon with the everyday realities confronting millions of Nigerians struggling with inflation, insecurity and declining purchasing power.
