Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister of transportation and vice presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticized the presidency for its handling of remarks made by cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, claiming that the remarks are an insult to the Catholic Church and Christianity.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television program that aired on Tuesday, Mr. Amaechi supported Mr. Onaiyekan’s remarks in response to a recent meeting between Catholic bishops and President Bola Tinubu.
In a media interview, the clergyman disclosed the conversation that took place in the State House in Abuja between President Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
He claimed that during the interview, President Tinubu’s demeanor conveyed discontent with the bishops’ economic assessment and that, rather than acknowledging their worries, he maintained that the nation’s economy was getting better.
However, Mr. Onaiyekan was criticized by several of the president’s advisers for bringing up the topics in a media interview; one of them accused him of misusing “clerical privilege.”
However, Mr. Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and a Catholic, stated that there was nothing improper about the cleric publicly discussing topics covered during the discussion, particularly given that it was conducted in front of reporters and television cameras.
According to Mr. Amaechi, “the bishops went to see the president to discuss issues concerning the state of the nation and concerns about how credible the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be during the general election.”
He believes that instead of publicly criticizing the Catholic Church and its officials, the administration should treat them with the dignity befitting their positions.
He maintained that Catholic cardinals and bishops should be treated with the same respect as high-ranking state authorities.
“Every public gathering with the president is open to the public.” It is no longer a private meeting if you let cameras inside the office. There wouldn’t be any cameras or journalists there if the president requested a private meeting, he stated.
Additionally, Mr. Amaechi criticized remarks attributed to the president that implied that “all is fair in politics,” arguing that such a stance could not support assaults on religious leaders.
The former minister said that Mr. Onaiyekan’s Christian religion was being attacked by the comments.
“Through our Lord Jesus Christ, I believe in God.” I must therefore defend my faith at all costs when a bunch of people disparage it.
“My faith is being insulted by what the president is doing. He added, “They are also disparaging the Catholic Church.”
Mr. Amaechi used a comparison between the power of elected governors and Catholic bishops to make his case.
He pointed out that, similar to how the governor runs Rivers State, the Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt is in charge of the entire Rivers ecclesiastical region. In addition, the Bishop of Sokoto is in charge of spiritual matters across Sokoto State.
He declared, “You don’t insult a bishop just because he visited the president.”
Mr. Amaechi noted that although Catholic bishops publicly denounced the insecurity of previous President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the government did not retaliate against them.
“We all remained silent and tried to find solutions when the Catholic Church pursued Buhari. At the time, we didn’t attack anyone,” he stated.
He asked public servants not to disparage religious leaders.
“They ought to respect the Catholic Church. They ought to honor God, the Christian faith, and our bishops,” he continued.
Mr. Amaechi also rejected recent remarks made by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike during the interview.
Mr. Amaechi stated he would not have a public conversation with the FCT minister in response to Mr. Wike’s allegation that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar picked him as his running mate due to financial considerations.
“I don’t answer my subordinates. I was never hired by Wike,” he remarked.
In the run-up to the 2027 general election, Mr. Amaechi’s remarks coincide with an increase in political discussions between the president and prominent opposition members. These discussions are expanding beyond politics to include topics pertaining to public institutions and religious leaders.
