In a blistering critique of the ruling administration, Cardinal John Onaiyekan has warned that President Bola Tinubu’s government is determined to secure victory in the 2027 general elections “by all means,” leveraging vast state machinery in a manner that threatens to render public votes irrelevant.
Speaking during a live television interview following a delegation meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, the Archbishop Emeritus expressed alarm over the administration’s “win at all costs” political disposition.
“We are worried about the fact that we see clearly that our government is bent on winning by all means, and unfortunately, they have a lot of means at their disposal to win,” Onaiyekan stated. “They are deploying all those means in a way that eventually, even if we had a free and fair election, the votes of the people may not count.”
The cleric criticised the administration’s political philosophy, rejecting the President’s assertion that “in politics, all is fair.” Onaiyekan countered that democratic governance demands moral boundaries, fairness, and strict limits on incumbency power. Related News Super Eagles midfielder Onyedika completes €10m (N15bn) move to Frankfurt 'Hypersonic missiles' vs. 'devastating bombs': Shehu Sani says Obasanjo-Atiku feud ends only in death NDLEA intercepts China, Italy-bound cocaine concealed in local mortar, backpack
