Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticised what he described as growing intolerance of criticism by the Federal Government, warning that attacks on religious leaders who speak out on national issues could further deepen divisions in the country.
In a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday, Obi defended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, insisting that the body had consistently served as the conscience of the nation by speaking on issues affecting ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, the Catholic Church has never functioned as an opposition group but has instead maintained a tradition of speaking truth to power regardless of the administration in office.
“The Catholic Church has never functioned as an opposition party in Nigeria. Across military regimes and successive democratic administrations, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has maintained a principled voice on national issues and the nation’s conscience,” he said.
Obi noted that other major religious organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Jama’atu Nasril Islam and the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, had also raised concerns about the country’s worsening economic and security conditions.
He argued that religious leaders often understand the plight of citizens because they interact directly with families struggling with poverty, unemployment, insecurity and rising food prices.
The former Anambra State governor expressed concern over the criticism directed at the bishops and, in particular, Cardinal John Onaiyekan following their recent observations about the country’s economic and security challenges.
According to him, leaders should be willing to accept constructive criticism and engage with people who offer honest assessments of national conditions.
“Rather than address these concerns or explain the measures in place to ameliorate them, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s aides and supporters responded with vicious attacks, particularly against Cardinal John Onaiyekan,” Obi stated.
He also accused politicians of exploiting religion and ethnicity to divert attention from pressing national issues, arguing that insecurity, inflation, unemployment and poverty affect Nigerians irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.
Obi maintained that the concerns raised by the bishops reflected the experiences of millions of Nigerians and urged the government to focus on finding lasting solutions to the country’s challenges instead of attacking critics.
He added that genuine dialogue and responsible leadership remained essential to restoring public confidence and promoting national unity.