2027: Tinubu Govt Wants to Retain Power “By All Means” – Cardinal Onaiyekan
By Victor Idajili
The Catholic Cardinal and former Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, has raised alarm over the 2027 elections, saying President Bola Tinubu’s administration appears determined to hold on to power “by all means.”
Speaking on Friday during Arise TV’s ‘Prime Time’, Onaiyekan warned that the huge resources at the government’s disposal could compromise the credibility of the electoral process.
His comments came days after the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, met with Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. The delegation, led by CBCN President Matthew Ndagoso, presented an address highlighting the bishops’ concerns about the state of the nation.
Responding to the bishops, Tinubu defended his government. He said the economy was stabilising, ASUU strikes were now a thing of the past, and that INEC was “neutral.” He also accused his political opponents of being “afraid of their own shadows.”
Onaiyekan said the bishops’ message was deliberate — to tell the president the truth about what Nigerians are going through.
According to him, the president and some officials in the room did not look pleased, because it was not the kind of feedback they usually get.
“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.”
He said the bishops told Tinubu plainly that “the country is bleeding” and that economic hardship was hitting poor Nigerians hardest. Tinubu, however, disagreed.
“Practically speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us,” the cardinal said. “He insisted that the country was not bleeding and that the economy was doing fine.”
Onaiyekan added that the meeting was not meant to be a casual exchange of pleasantries given the weight of the country’s problems.
The cardinal also expressed worry about how future elections will be conducted, especially in 2027.
“We are worried about the fact that we see clearly that our government is bent on winning by all means,” he said.
“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.”
He cautioned that if Nigerians are not allowed to freely choose their leaders, it could create “difficulties” for the country.
