Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is being misled by people around him who present an overly positive picture of the state of the country ahead of 2027 general elections.
Onaiyekan made the remarks while responding to questions during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme.
His comments come days after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, met with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Reflecting on the meeting, the cleric said the bishops considered it their responsibility to give the President an honest assessment of the nation’s challenges, contrary to what he described as the flattering reports from some of Tinubu’s associates.
“That is one of the things that worries us: there are so many people hanging around Mr President, giving him a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not,” Onaiyekan said.
“We felt that indeed, we have the obligation to help him appreciate the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves.
“That is the reality that we painted, which I know is not the kind of thing that he wanted to hear. And his reply showed that very clearly.”
The cardinal suggested that the bishops used the meeting to present what they believe is the true state of the nation, insisting that leaders should be given accurate information to enable them make informed decisions.
