“Buhari Never Insulted Bishops Who Criticised His Government”— Amaechi Accuses Tinubu’s Govt. Of Insulting Christian Faith

Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress chieftain Rotimi Amaechi has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of insulting the Catholic Church and the Christian faith through its response to concerns raised by Catholic bishops over hardship, insecurity and the credibility of future elections.

Amaechi, who spoke during a television interview, said the bishops were justified in discussing the country’s worsening economic conditions and electoral integrity during their recent meeting with President Tinubu.

He maintained that rather than attack the religious leaders, the Presidency should reassure Nigerians that the 2027 general elections would be conducted freely and fairly, with all political parties allowed to compete on a level playing field.

“The reason the bishops went to the President was to discuss the hardship in the country, the state of the nation and issues of concern, including how fair INEC would be,” Amaechi said.

“What the President needs to do is reassure Nigerians that all political parties will slog it out in the field and that it will be a free and fair election.”

The former Rivers State governor rejected claims that the bishops breached the confidentiality of their meeting with the President by speaking publicly about the issues discussed.

According to him, a meeting ceases to be private once cameras and journalists are allowed to record proceedings inside the President’s office.

“Every public meeting with the President is public. The moment you allow cameras into the office, it is no longer private. If the President wanted a private meeting, there would be no cameras and no journalists,” he said.

Amaechi argued that the subsequent criticism directed at the bishops and Cardinal John Onaiyekan amounted to disrespect for the Catholic Church and millions of its members in Nigeria.

“What the President and his men are doing is insulting my faith. They are insulting the Catholic Church,” he said.

He stressed that Catholic bishops and cardinals occupy important positions within the Church and should not be casually attacked by government officials merely because they expressed concerns about national issues.

“A cardinal is somebody who could have been Pope or someone who votes for Popes. When you insult a cardinal, you are insulting about 35 million Catholics,” Amaechi stated.

“You look at me in my faith and say I don’t mean anything. My Church means nothing. My God means nothing to you.”

Amaechi also rejected allegations that Catholic leaders were acting in support of any particular politician or political party.

Speaking specifically about Onaiyekan, the former minister said the retired Archbishop of Abuja was primarily concerned about poverty, corruption and the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

“He supports nobody. I’ve had several conversations with him. The only thing that pains him is the level of poverty, hardship and corruption in the country. He worries about Nigerians,” he said.

Amaechi maintained that religious leaders have a responsibility to criticise governments and speak out whenever public policies cause hardship or threaten the welfare of citizens.

He noted that the Pope regularly comments on wars, poverty, injustice and other global issues, arguing that Nigerian clerics should not be expected to remain silent while people suffer.

“Religious leaders should criticise government. The Pope speaks on global issues, including wars. The Church has a responsibility to speak when people are suffering,” he said.

The ADC chieftain recalled that the Catholic Church repeatedly criticised former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over insecurity and other national problems while he served as a minister.

According to him, officials of the Buhari government did not respond by insulting the bishops but instead examined the complaints and considered what could be done to address them.

“When the Catholic Church came after Buhari, I was in Buhari’s government. We all kept quiet and looked at what we should do. We did not insult the bishops,” Amaechi said.

He warned that hostile statements against religious leaders could deepen divisions and create the impression that the government had little regard for the faith of millions of Nigerians.

Amaechi consequently urged the Presidency and its officials to stop attacking the Catholic hierarchy and accord Christian leaders the respect due to them.

“They should leave the Catholic Church alone. They should respect God, respect the Christian faith and respect our bishops,” he said.

The former minister disclosed that he decided to address the controversy despite mourning the death of his mother because of the importance he attached to defending his faith.

“That is why I came out, despite mourning my mother, to appeal to the government to stop insulting Christians and the Catholic Church,” he added.

Amaechi said he was deliberately avoiding broader partisan discussions during the mourning period and would address political issues after completing the traditional rites for his late mother.