‘We didn’t visit Tinubu to convert him to Catholic Church,’ Onaiyekan replies Presidency

The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has no intention of responding to government spokespersons following its recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Onaiyekan said the Catholic bishops had already delivered their message directly to the President and were only interested in whether it would influence government policies and improve governance.

He dismissed suggestions that the bishops were advancing only Catholic interests, stressing that their intervention was guided by a moral and spiritual responsibility to all Nigerians.

> “We didn’t go there just as Catholic bishops pushing the Catholic agenda. No. We went there as people who are with the spiritual mandate to speak to anybody in the name of God,” he said.

Reacting to comments made by government supporters and spokespersons after the meeting, the Cardinal declined to engage in any public exchange.

> “I would not even answer that question. We have no response for them. We have spoken, and the only response we are waiting for is whether it is affecting the way they are governing.

> “That some of the supporters of government and the state and spokesperson may have their own idea about what they think they should be saying on behalf of their principal, is their business, not mine.

> “As for response to the things we are hearing, I don’t even have to say anything because the social media is full of response from Nigerian people and that for me is more than enough,” he added.

Onaiyekan explained that the July 28 meeting at the State House, Abuja, was initiated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference after waiting several months for an audience with the President.

According to him, the visit was neither an evangelistic mission nor an attempt to advance the interests of the Catholic Church, but an opportunity to present concerns about governance and the welfare of Nigerians as part of the bishops’ pastoral responsibility.

“The bishops visited President Tinubu last week after we requested an audience. It took some months before we were granted the meeting, and the main reason we wanted to see him was not to go on an evangelical mission.

“We didn’t go there to preach to him or try to convert him to the Catholic Church. We went there to share our views and thoughts about the government he heads, hoping our ideas would be taken into consideration. That was what took us to the State House,” he said.

The Cardinal expressed hope that the engagement would not be the last between the government and the Catholic bishops, saying they were looking forward to further dialogue on issues affecting Nigerians.

He said the bishops hoped the government would create another opportunity for a more detailed discussion beyond the brief interaction they had with the President.