Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, has said he is not afraid of anyone and cannot be embarrassed over his decision to publicly discuss a meeting between Catholic bishops and President Bola Tinubu.
Onaiyekan made the remarks while responding to criticism from the Presidency over comments he made about the July 28, 2026 meeting at the State House in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by senior Catholic clerics, including the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, Cardinal Peter Okpaleke and Bishop Matthew Kukah.
The bishops raised concerns about economic hardship, insecurity and the political situation in the country, including fears about the conduct of future elections and the possibility of Nigeria drifting towards one-party dominance.
Onaiyekan later disclosed details of the meeting during an appearance on Arise TV, saying the bishops had a responsibility to speak frankly about the country’s challenges rather than present a flattering picture to the President.
The Presidency subsequently criticised him for publicly disclosing details of what it considered a private meeting. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described the disclosure as inappropriate.
Responding in a video shared by Symfoni TV, Onaiyekan defended his decision, saying: “I didn’t go to Arise to please the government, or to just please people, but to tell the truth. That’s all I stand for.”
He added: “I cannot be embarrassed. I’m 82 years old; nobody can embarrass me. And I’m not afraid of anybody. Nobody, at this stage now, are they going to arrest me, carry me to where?”
The cardinal also said he was not speaking solely in his personal capacity, explaining that the bishops had prepared a joint statement containing the issues he raised publicly.
Onaiyekan further urged Nigerians not to take freedom of expression for granted, saying, “We are still lucky in this Nigeria that we can still talk… There are many countries in Africa where no bishop dares to talk like we do here.”
He said the bishops had delivered their message to the President and would now wait to see whether their concerns would influence government action.
