Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of suppressing dissent and attempting to mask Nigeria’s economic challenges through what he termed “statistical manipulation.”
According to The Punch, Atiku also faulted the Presidency for criticising former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, over comments he made on the country’s condition, insisting that both the cleric and the Catholic Church deserve an immediate apology.
The former vice president made the remarks in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. He said the Presidency reacted with attacks instead of reflecting on concerns recently raised by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.
According to him, the government chose to intimidate and discredit respected religious leaders rather than engage with the issues they highlighted.
“It was both unfortunate and dangerous that, instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message, the Presidency chose the familiar path of intimidation, ridicule and political attacks,” he said.
Atiku described the Catholic Church as one of Nigeria’s enduring moral institutions, saying its leaders have consistently defended the poor and vulnerable regardless of which government is in power.
“The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation.
“Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock.
“Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power,” he stated.
He praised the bishops for openly expressing their concerns about the country’s economic and political situation, describing their intervention as an act of courage.
“The Catholic bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the president in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation.
“That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do, not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth.
“We urge other religious leaders, regardless of denomination or faith, to emulate this example by speaking truth to power whenever the nation’s interest demands it,” he added.
The ADC standard-bearer also defended Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to address journalists after the meeting, arguing that the cleric was merely correcting what he described as the Presidency’s attempt to shape public perception.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to the press after the Presidency sought to dominate and distort the public conversation was nothing more than an effort to place the facts on record.
“Such a responsible act cannot justify the vile, uncouth and disrespectful reaction that followed from Tinubu’s media handlers,” he said.
He further alleged that the Presidency sought to diminish the credibility of the Catholic bishops by selectively presenting details of their meeting with the President.
“What the media managers of the Tinubu administration attempted to do was to cancel and overwrite the voices of the revered Catholic bishops by selectively editing and reframing their engagement with the President to manufacture a narrative favourable to the government.
“That cynical exercise amounted to an affront to the integrity, credibility and moral authority of the bishops,” he stated.
Atiku warned that democracy would be weakened if independent voices continued to face attacks for expressing contrary opinions.
“The Presidency is not a secret cult where only approved voices are permitted to speak. In a constitutional democracy, no one needs the permission of Aso Rock to tell the truth about the state of the nation,” he noted.
Referring to the controversy over clerics present at President Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, Atiku suggested the administration wrongly assumed all religious leaders could be enlisted for political purposes.
“Perhaps the Presidency has become so accustomed to inviting ‘fake bishops’ that it now assumes every cleric can be recruited into political propaganda.
“But Catholic bishops are different. They are not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers. They are shepherds with a moral obligation to speak truth to power, regardless of whose interests are bruised. They cannot be used,” he declared.
He maintained that criticising respected clerics would not erase the country’s economic difficulties or absolve the government of responsibility.
“The cleric merely gave voice to what millions of Nigerians discuss daily in their homes, markets, churches and workplaces.
“Silencing or attacking him will not erase the harsh realities of hunger, insecurity, rising poverty, unemployment and the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting ordinary citizens,” he said.
The Wazirin Adamawa called on the Presidency to apologise to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Catholic Church and Catholic faithful across the country.
“The Presidency owes the Catholic Church, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the entire Catholic faithful an immediate and unreserved apology.
“The reckless assault on respected men of God was not merely an attack on individuals; it was an affront to one of Nigeria’s most credible moral institutions and an insult to millions of faithful Catholics.
“Until that apology is offered, the Tinubu administration will continue to stand accused of arrogance, intolerance and contempt for every independent voice that refuses to sing its praises,” he stated.
Beyond the dispute over the bishops’ comments, Atiku also criticised the Tinubu administration’s economic record, arguing that official figures could not hide the hardship experienced by Nigerians.
He accused the government of attempting to reshape public perception through what he described as creative accounting and polished presentations while living conditions continued to deteriorate.
In a separate statement issued on Sunday, the former vice president rejected recent remarks by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, who had defended the administration’s reforms, including subsidy removal, debt management and workers’ welfare measures.
Atiku argued that the government’s claim that savings from fuel subsidy removal were reducing inherited liabilities conflicted with publicly available financial records.
He contended that, instead of lowering its debt exposure to the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Government had significantly increased it.
“As of May 2023, when President Tinubu assumed office, the Federal Government’s exposure to the Central Bank of Nigeria stood at approximately N26.9tn. Today, that exposure has ballooned to over N40.38tn.
“This administration has not reduced its indebtedness to the CBN. It has merely changed the label on the debt by converting Ways and Means advances into treasury bills and bonds while simultaneously piling up fresh obligations. That is debt restructuring, not debt repayment,” the statement read.
Citing figures attributed to CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, Atiku said government borrowing from the apex bank rose by N17.39tn between May 2025 and May 2026, representing a 77.6 per cent increase.
“This destroys the narrative that subsidy savings are being used to reduce government indebtedness. Nigerians deserve honesty, not creative accounting,” he stated.
He also disputed claims that subsidy savings had translated into improved welfare for workers, insisting that several promised benefits were yet to be implemented.
“Which salary increase is the government talking about? The Federal Government is yet to fully implement the new minimum wage. The 40 per cent peculiar allowance tied to the wage adjustment remains unpaid despite official directives that it should take effect from May 1, 2026.
“The promised wage award has equally not been fully implemented. These are not opposition allegations; they are the grievances of organised labour,” he added.
On education funding, Atiku questioned the government’s assertion that subsidy savings were financing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
“The Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND publicly stated that the scheme received a N50bn injection from recovered funds by the EFCC.
“If that is the case, why is the government now presenting subsidy savings as the source? Nigerians are tired of an administration that changes its story each time it is confronted with facts,” he added.
The former vice president also blamed the administration’s economic policies for rising borrowing costs, saying higher interest rates had made credit increasingly inaccessible to businesses while worsening debt servicing obligations.
“Who drove interest rates to their current levels? Under this administration, the Monetary Policy Rate has climbed dramatically, making borrowing prohibitively expensive for manufacturers and the private sector.
“Government’s insatiable appetite for borrowing has crowded out productive businesses while pushing debt servicing to unsustainable levels.
“To now blame interest rates is nothing short of an admission of policy failure,” he stated.
He insisted that official economic statistics did not reflect the hardship confronting ordinary Nigerians.
“Food prices have spiralled beyond the reach of ordinary families. Inflation continues to erode incomes. Businesses are shutting down. Unemployment remains alarming.
“The naira has suffered unprecedented depreciation, while poverty has deepened across the country. These are the realities Nigerians confront daily, not the glossy presentations from government officials,” he said.
Atiku argued that the government’s performance should ultimately be judged by the living conditions of Nigerians rather than official presentations.
“Governments are judged not by PowerPoint presentations or television interviews but by the quality of life of their citizens.
“On that score, this administration has failed spectacularly. Economic hardship cannot be explained away with clever rhetoric. Nigerians are living the consequences every day,” he added.
He urged government officials to move beyond media messaging and tackle the country’s economic challenges with sincerity, competence and accountability.
While the Federal Government has maintained that its reforms are intended to stabilise public finances, attract investment and place the economy on a sustainable footing, critics insist the policies have fuelled inflation, increased living costs and weakened the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians.
The debate over the administration’s economic reforms has intensified in recent weeks as officials continue to defend the measures amid growing public concern over food inflation, exchange rate volatility and the rising cost of living.
