The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has questioned whether members of the National Assembly truly reflect the will of the people, saying many Nigerians feel increasingly disconnected from their elected representatives.
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Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on ARISE News, following a strongly worded communique issued by the Bishops Conference warning that Africa’s largest democracy is drifting deeper into insecurity, economic sabotage, and what it called a troubling decline of democratic values.
Cardinal Onaiyekan stated that the bishops represent the people more than the National Assembly.
“We are no longer sure that our representatives in the National Assembly represent we the people. The priorities they set and the decisions they take do not show that they represent us,” he said.
“I like to say we represent the people in what we say more than what’s happening in the National Assembly which is supposed to represent the people.”
Onaiyekan stressed that the Catholic bishops were not seeking to assume political authority but were fulfilling their moral obligation to speak on issues affecting citizens.
“Nigeria’s bishops have no intention of taking over the government; we are simply speaking for the people and speaking truth to power,” he said.
“This communique is not a political statement. It is a document that was fashioned with a deep love of Nigeria in mind, with honesty, and I also say with deep Christian faith. Imagine a group of almost 70 prelates from different parts of Nigeria and different ethnic nationalities who come together and are able to endorse this kind of communique.”
Cardinal Onaiyekan expressed grave concern about declining voter participation.
“We studied the data of INEC and from 1999 until now, every election voter turnout was going worse and worse and worse. We interpreted that to mean people no longer have trust in the election.
“The last election, 23% of registered voters showed up. That means whoever emerges as winner has been elected by a very small minority of Nigerians. What kind of democracy is that?”
The Cardinal recalled how many young people were unable to vote in the last election.
“I still remember many young people making pilgrimages to the INEC offices for many many days to collect this famous voters card and were not able to get it. They show up in a big room full of PVCs and they can’t find your own.
“So many people were disenfranchised simply because of that. And then there were those who just felt there’s no point going because even if we vote they are not going to count our votes.”
Onaiyekan challenged Nigeria’s commitment to democracy.
“I think it is not good for us if we do not want democracy. Maybe we should say it plain and clear and say look, this system doesn’t work for us. Let us look for another system. There are other systems. There are other ways of running government.
“If we say we want democracy, we should be sincere.”
The 82-year-old Cardinal lamented the deterioration of Nigeria.
“I’ve been in this country now for 82 years. 60 of them I was quite aware of what is happening. And I’m not the only one who is feeling that this is not the country we lived in before.
“Not that when we say ‘not the country we lived in before’ — this country is worse than it was before in many aspects.”
On President Tinubu’s security emergency declaration, Cardinal Onaiyekan said results remained grim.
“We were expecting that when the declaration was made, we’re going to see a definite change of attitude, that the terrorists will be hunted down, put on the back foot, and removed from us. But we didn’t see anything. It’s only presidential declaration.
“We ought not to be living in a country where killings are going on, where villagers are not safe, where even the people in power are not safe. I challenge any of them to jump into his car and drive to his village without security.”
The Cardinal highlighted economic sabotage funding terrorism.
“Nigerians are now hearing that there are people who are doing brisk large business cutting away our mineral resources without any apparently without any government control.
“We are just hearing that there are people who have been making billions from our natural resources without any accountability. And certainly not without the complicity of those who ought to stop it.”
He added that attacks displacing villagers are often “to make room for large scale mining. How can that be happening in a civilized nation?”
On food policy, Cardinal Onaiyekan said farmers are in trouble.
“Farmers went out to plant. By the time they have their crops — rice, beans, whatever — comes to the market, the prices had come down. It is reported that government flooded the market with imported food.
“If that is true then it is the wrong decision. That money should have been given to our farmers to reduce the cost of production of their food, to support agriculture so that they can produce our own food.”
When asked what he would demand if he had the president’s ear, Cardinal Onaiyekan listed:
First: “The major problem in Nigeria now is security. He should do whatever it takes to make Nigerians safe.”
Second: “Corruption. In other countries, people who want to be corrupt have to be careful because they can be caught. But here in Nigeria, it seems that those who are corrupt always get away with it.”
Third: “Our peaceful relationship among ourselves. There has been too much polarization — first because of politics, then religion has become more problematic now than it was 20 years ago.”
On religious extremism, Cardinal Onaiyekan said: “I have the strong conviction that the vast majority of Nigerians, Christians and Muslims, want nothing more but to live together in peace. There are those fringe groups that have their own ideas.
“We should be able to deal with them decisively. Even in the most Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia does not give free reign to Islamic extremists. The slightest case, they stop them. Why can’t we do the same here?”
The Cardinal ended on a note of hope, urging Nigerians to participate in the 2027 elections.
“Our communique ended on a note of hope. We’re telling everybody, get ready 2027. Come out en masse and vote. A better Nigeria is possible.”
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