Atiku condemns Tinubu for attack on Catholic Church

Former Vice President and opposition figure Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Nigerian presidency for what he described as an attack on the Catholic Church and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, calling it a sign of the administration's growing intolerance of dissent. The criticism follows a public dispute that erupted after a delegation of Catholic bishops met with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

The controversy began after Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, led a delegation from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria on a visit to the Presidential Villa. Following the meeting, Onaiyekan stated that the bishops had raised concerns about the nation's economy and security situation with the president, but that Tinubu had disagreed with their assessment, insisting his administration was on the right track.

In response, media handlers for the presidency issued statements that were widely perceived as critical of the cardinal and the church's stance. Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, characterized the government's reaction as an attempt to intimidate and ridicule a respected moral voice. In a statement released by his senior...