By Kingston Magare 1.8.2026
Cardinal John Onaiyekan a former Catholic archbishop of Abuja, said judging from President Bola Tinubu body language, his administration will not guarantee a free and fair election in 2027.
According to the 82-years-old Cardinal Tinubu is determined to win re-election “by all means.”
“We are worried about the fact that we see clearly that our government is bent on winning by all means,” he told Arise TV Prime Time.
“Unfortunately, they have a lot of means at their disposal to win. Even if we had a free and fair election, the votes of the people may not count.”
Cardinal Onaiyekan was speaking against the background of the recent meeting of Catholic Bishops with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Onaiyekan painted a picture of a President who was far from the reality of the country he is presiding.
He noted that the Bishops told Tinubu in plain language the country was on the edge, but the President seemed unmoved the economic situation was taking a heavy toll on poor citizens.
“I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy nor even his colleagues who were there,” Onaiyekan said.
“We knew that this is different from the kind of statements that our president keeps receiving from all kinds of people.
“And that is one of the things that worries us, that there are so many people hanging around Mr President giving a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not.
“Indeed, we have the obligation to help him appreciate the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves. That is the reality that we painted, which I know is not the kind of thing he wanted to hear and the reply shows very clearly.”
However, writing on X Tinubu’s megaphone Daniel Bwala, said Cardinal Onaiyekan was echoing Peter Obi’s talking points.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan, wasn’t speaking for Christians, he was speaking for Catholics, the very institutions rooting for Peter Obi @PeterObi in fact, likely the institution where Peter Obi also said in 2022 “take back your country,”
He urged the Cardinal to be neutral in his political thinking.
“ Cardinal is more political than spiritual.
“There is a body comprising all Christians including the Catholics and catholic bishops conference and that body’s position is neutral and should be so, otherwise it is political.”