Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Rotimi Amaechi, has defended Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan against claims that his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration was politically motivated.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, August 4, Amaechi alleged that the Presidency attempted to intimidate the former Archbishop of Abuja because of his comments on the state of the nation.
He argued that the response would have been different if similar remarks had been made by the Sultan of Sokoto.
“They wouldn’t have insulted him (the Sultan). Today, in the mosque, people are preaching about what is happening in the government. Are they being insulted? We are being insulted because we are Christians,” Amaechi said.
Amaechi dismissed suggestions that Cardinal Onaiyekan was supporting any political party or presidential candidate, describing the cleric as someone deeply concerned about the country’s worsening socio-economic conditions.
“He supports nobody. I see Cardinal Onaiyekan regularly. I worship in his private chapel. Cardinal Onaiyekan himself supports nobody. I have had several conversations with him. The only thing that pains him is the level of indiscretion and poverty in the country and corruption. He worries about that,” he said.
He insisted that the Cardinal’s comments were not politically driven but reflected genuine concern over the challenges facing Nigerians.
“I just think that they tried to intimidate him, because election is very far away, so they are trying to intimidate him the way they are trying to intimidate the population,” Amaechi stated.
The former Rivers State governor maintained that Cardinal Onaiyekan had done nothing wrong by speaking out, arguing that religious leaders have a responsibility to hold governments accountable whenever they believe citizens are experiencing hardship.
His comments come amid an ongoing exchange between the Presidency and Cardinal Onaiyekan over the cleric’s recent assessment of President Tinubu’s administration.