The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, of not being neutral during the 2023 general election, rejecting claims that the cleric’s recent criticism of the Presidency was based purely on objectivity.
Wike made the remarks on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Abuja while reacting to comments made by Onaiyekan following a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
The Cardinal had criticised those around President Tinubu for allegedly presenting a “rosy picture” of the country, while suggesting that the President appeared focused on securing a second term in 2027. The Presidency had earlier faulted him for making details of the private meeting public.
Responding to the controversy, Wike said religious leaders should maintain balance in their public statements, arguing that constant criticism of government without acknowledging achievements could be perceived as political.
“I am aware of the position of Cardinal Onaiyekan; all of us know, it’s not hidden, whom he supports; everybody knows that,” Wike said.
The FCT Minister stressed that while leaders should be held accountable, their achievements should also be recognised.
“It is not every time you say things are bad; nobody has heard you say government has done this well. Commend government when government has done well in certain areas; criticise government and say, look, you have done this well, but you should improve in these other areas,” he added.
Wike argued that when criticism from a public figure consistently focuses only on the negative, it becomes difficult to view such comments as completely impartial.
Reacting to claims that religious leaders were non partisan during the 2023 election, Wike disagreed, insisting that many openly supported different political sides during the poll.
“Don’t tell me they’re not partisan. You know what happened in the 2023 election. People took sides, religious leaders took sides; it was very
