Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said President Bola Tinubu should have used his meeting with Catholic bishops to assure Nigerians that the 2027 general elections would be free, fair and conducted on a level playing field.
A combo of Amaechi and Tinubu
The vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for dismissing concerns raised by Catholic bishops over the credibility of the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of Politics the former Minister of Transportation said the President should have used the meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to reassure Nigerians that the 2027 elections would be free, fair and conducted on a level playing field.
“When the president has said to you all is fair in politics when the Catholic Church is crying about the possibility of having an election that may not be fair, what the President needs to do is to reassure the country, APC, PDP and ADC will slug it out in an even field, it will be a free and fair election, let the best team win.”
During their meeting with President Tinubu last Tuesday, the Catholic bishops called for credible elections in 2027 and urged the strengthening of democratic institutions ahead of the polls. Their remarks came amid allegations by opposition parties that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other state institutions were being used to intimidate political opponents.
Responding to the bishops, President Tinubu insisted that INEC remained neutral and rejected claims that the electoral body was being used against opposition parties.
The meeting later sparked controversy after former Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said President Tinubu was displeased with the message delivered by the bishops.
John Cardinal Onaiyekan
According to Onaiyekan, the clerics told the President that Nigerians were facing severe economic hardship and that the country was “bleeding.”
His remarks drew criticism from the Presidency, with one of Tinubu’s spokespersons, Daniel Bwala, accusing the Cardinal of being political.
Amaechi, however, defended Onaiyekan, insisting the cleric was not backing any political party or candidate but was speaking out over the hardship, poverty and corruption confronting Nigerians.
“He supports nobody. I see Cardinal Onaiyekan regularly; I worship in his private chapel. Cardinal Onaiyekan himself supports nobody. I have had several conversations with him. The only thing that pains him is the level of indiscretion and poverty in the country and corruption. He worries about that,” Amaechi said.
The former Rivers State governor also accused the President and the Presidency of showing disrespect to the Catholic Church and the Christian faith.
“He is sending more attack dogs against the church. He has no respect and regard for the Catholic Church and I think they have no respect and regard for the Christian faith,” Amaechi said.
Amaechi urged the Presidency to stop attacking the Church and to respect its leadership.
“They should leave the Catholic Church alone and they should respect God and respect the Christian faith. They should stop insulting Christians and the leadership of the Christian church.”
