Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of intolerance towards criticism, following the Presidency’s reaction to comments by Catholic cleric, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, while also faulting the government’s defence of its economic policies.
Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the alleged attacks on the Catholic Church and Cardinal Onaiyekan as evidence of what he called the administration’s growing discomfort with dissenting voices and criticism.
He argued that instead of addressing the substance of the cleric’s concerns about the state of the nation, the government chose to respond with what he described as intimidation, ridicule and political attacks.
“The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock,” Atiku said.
He added that religious leaders had a responsibility to hold government accountable rather than offer praise to those in power.
“Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power,” he stated.
Atiku praised the Catholic Bishops for what he described as their courage in confronting the President with the realities facing Nigerians, urging other religious leaders across different faiths to emulate the example.
“The Catholic Bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the president in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation.
”That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do—not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth,” he said.
The former Vice President condemned the Presidency’s response to Cardinal Onaiyekan, describing the cleric as a respected voice, elder statesman and moral figure within the Catholic Church.
According to him, the reaction from the President’s media handlers was disrespectful not only to the Cardinal but also to millions of Nigerians who identify with the Catholic faith.
He accused the administration of attempting to distort the Bishops’ message by selectively presenting their engagement with the President in a manner favourable to the government.
“What the media managers of the Tinubu administration attempted to do was to cancel and overwrite the voices of the revered Catholic Bishops by selectively editing and reframing their engagement with the President in order to manufacture a narrative favourable to the government,” he said.
Atiku said Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to address the media after the Presidency’s response was an effort to clarify facts and should not have attracted criticism.
“Such a responsible act cannot justify the vile, uncouth and disrespectful reaction that followed from Tinubu’s media handlers. Resorting to insults instead of addressing the issues only exposes the bankruptcy of their arguments,” he stated.
He maintained that religious leaders were not political tools and had a duty to speak whenever national issues affected the welfare of citizens.
“Catholic bishops are different. They are not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers.
”They are shepherds with a moral obligation to speak truth to power, regardless of whose interests are bruised,” Atiku said.
He added that criticism of Cardinal Onaiyekan would not erase the challenges facing Nigerians, including hunger, insecurity, poverty, unemployment and the rising cost of living.
“The Presidency should stop shooting the messenger and start addressing the message,” he said.
Atiku called on the Tinubu administration to apologise to the Catholic Church, Cardinal Onaiyekan and the wider Catholic community, warning that continued attacks on independent voices would damage the government’s image.
Atiku Faults Economic Defence
In a separate criticism, Atiku dismissed the recent defence of the administration’s economic policies by the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, describing it as an attempt to rewrite economic realities facing Nigerians.
He argued that claims concerning public debt, fuel subsidy removal, debt servicing and workers’ welfare were inconsistent with available data.
Atiku specifically challenged the government’s claim that savings from fuel subsidy removal were being used to reduce inherited liabilities.
“As of May 2023, when President Tinubu assumed office, the Federal Government’s exposure to the Central Bank of Nigeria stood at approximately N26.9 trillion. Today, that exposure has ballooned to over N40.38 trillion,” he said.
According to him, the government had not reduced its debt obligations but merely converted existing liabilities into other debt instruments.
“This administration has not reduced its indebtedness to the CBN. It has merely changed the label on the debt by converting Ways and Means advances into Treasury Bills and bonds while simultaneously piling up fresh obligations. That is debt restructuring—not debt repayment,” he stated.
Atiku also referenced figures attributed to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, which showed an increase in CBN credit to the Federal Government from N22.99 trillion in May 2025 to N40.38 trillion in May 2026.
“This completely destroys the narrative that subsidy savings are being used to reduce government indebtedness.
Nigerians deserve honesty, not creative accounting,” he said.
Subsidy Savings Claims Questioned
Atiku also rejected claims that subsidy savings were being used to improve workers’ welfare.
“Which salary increase is the government talking about? The federal government is yet to fully implement the new minimum wage.
”The 40 per cent peculiar allowance tied to the wage adjustment remains unpaid despite official directives that it should take effect from May 1, 2026,” he said.
He also questioned claims that subsidy savings were funding the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying the organisation’s chief executive had attributed a N50 billion injection into the scheme to recovered funds from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“If that is the case, why is the government now presenting subsidy savings as the source? Nigerians are tired of an administration that changes its story each time it is confronted with facts,” he said.
Debt, Inflation and Naira Crisis
The ADC presidential candidate further criticised the government’s explanation that rising debt servicing costs were mainly caused by high interest rates.
“Who drove interest rates to their current levels? Under this administration, the Monetary Policy Rate has climbed dramatically, making borrowing prohibitively expensive for manufacturers and the private sector,” he said.
Atiku blamed what he described as excessive government borrowing for worsening economic pressures and restricting private-sector growth.
He argued that official statistics could not conceal the daily struggles of Nigerians.
“Food prices have spiralled beyond the reach of ordinary families. Inflation continues to erode incomes. Businesses are shutting down. Unemployment remains alarming.
”The naira has suffered unprecedented depreciation, while poverty has deepened across the country,” he said.
According to Atiku, governments should ultimately be judged by citizens’ living conditions rather than official presentations.
“Governments are judged not by PowerPoint presentations or television interviews but by the quality of life of their citizens. On that score, this administration has failed spectacularly,” he stated.
He urged government officials to move beyond public relations campaigns and focus on addressing economic hardship through accountability, competence and effective policies.
