John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, has dismissed claims that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria met President Bola Tinubu to promote Catholic interests or convert him to the faith.
Speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ogun State, Onaiyekan said the bishops had already presented their concerns directly to the President and would not engage in a public exchange with government spokespersons.
He said the bishops were only interested in seeing whether their message would influence government policies and improve the lives of Nigerians.
“We didn’t go there just as Catholic bishops pushing the Catholic agenda. We went there as people with a spiritual mandate to speak to anybody in the name of God,” he said.
The Cardinal also declined to respond to criticisms from government supporters following the meeting.
“We have spoken, and the only response we are waiting for is whether it is affecting the way they are governing. What government supporters or spokespersons say is their business, not mine,” he stated.
Onaiyekan noted that public reactions on social media were enough response to the controversy, adding that he had no reason to join the debate.
He explained that the July 28 meeting at the State House in Abuja was requested by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference after waiting several months for an audience with the President.
According to him, the visit was not an evangelical mission or an attempt to convert Tinubu to Catholicism. Instead, it was an opportunity to discuss governance and the welfare of Nigerians.
“We didn’t go there to preach to him or try to convert him to the Catholic Church. We went there to share our views about the government he heads and hope our ideas would be considered,” Onaiyekan said.
The cleric expressed hope that the meeting would mark the beginning of more engagements between the government and the Catholic bishops on issues affecting the country.
