Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has defended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, accusing the Presidency of responding to legitimate criticism with attacks instead of addressing the country’s challenges.
In a statement posted on his official social media page on Wednesday, Obi described the backlash against the bishops and the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja as “deeply troubling,” insisting that the Catholic Church has always spoken out on national issues irrespective of the government in power.
“The Catholic Church has never functioned as an opposition party in Nigeria. Across military regimes and successive democratic administrations, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has maintained a principled voice on national issues and the nation’s conscience, commending governments when they deserved commendation and speaking the truth whenever national conscience demanded it,” he said.
Obi argued that other major religious organisations had also consistently raised concerns over insecurity, inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of living because they interact directly with affected Nigerians.
