The Catholic leader reveals the President was unhappy with their blunt assessment of the nation.
Archbishop John Cardinal Onaiyekan has revealed that President Bola Tinubu rejected warnings from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria about the worsening economy. During their late July 2026 meeting, Tinubu reportedly dismissed the clerics’ harsh realities and insisted the nation is doing fine.
Archbishop John Cardinal Onaiyekan says President Bola Tinubu strongly disagreed with Catholic leaders regarding the nation’s struggles. The cleric spoke on Arise News on July 28, 2026. He noted the President looked visibly unhappy during their recent meeting.
Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria visited the President to discuss rising poverty and present harsh facts. They wanted to counter the false optimism surrounding the presidency instead of praising the government.
Confronting the President
“I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy,” the cardinal noted during the interview.
“There are so many people hanging around Mr. President giving him a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not,” Onaiyekan declared.
The cleric explained that the meeting was never meant to be a friendly chat. The current state of the nation requires urgent and direct truth. He stressed that the bishops had a moral duty to speak up.
“When the nation is bl£eding, you can’t expect a polite meeting with the head of state. We need to let him know,” he said.
Tinubu defends the economy
Onaiyekan disclosed that the bishops pointed out how current policies harm poor citizens. The President quickly rejected this grim assessment and maintained that his administration is succeeding.
“We told him our economy is not helping our poor people. He told us the economy is doing fine,” the Archbishop stated.
“His reply is that the nation is not bleeding,” he added.
Nigerians have faced severe economic strain since fuel subsidies ended. Food prices and inflation have pushed millions into poverty. Despite these realities, the government often claims its reforms will yield long-term benefits.
“We have done our duty, we have delivered our message,” the cardinal concluded.
“somehow along the line, somebody will show him a few of the things we said,” he hoped.
