Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS, Onaiyekan expressed concerns that the Federal Government was focused on retaining power at all costs. He also claimed that President Tinubu dismissed concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) on the economy and insecurity during a meeting at the Presidential Villa on July 28.
The cleric accused those around the President of presenting a misleadingly positive picture of the country's situation, warning that Nigeria's electoral process must be strengthened to ensure that future elections genuinely reflect the will of the people.
Onaiyekan said there were growing fears that the current administration could use the advantages of incumbency to influence the electoral process, despite President Tinubu's repeated assurances that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would remain neutral.
"We're worried about the fact that President Tinubu's administration is bent on winning the 2027 elections by all means," Onaiyekan said.
He argued that while the government possessed significant powers, those powers could be deployed in ways that would undermine the value of citizens' votes, even if elections appeared free and fair.
The former Catholic Archbishop also called for urgent electoral reforms to safeguard Nigeria's democracy and warned against any drift toward a one-party state.
According to him, although it is natural for an incumbent president to seek re-election, the powers of office should not be used to compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
"Of course, we are not expecting Mr President to help the opposition defeat him. But the point we are raising is that even though the president has all the powers of incumbency, he is in the election. He is a candidate like any other person," he said.
Onaiyekan maintained that only transparent, free and credible elections would sustain public confidence in Nigeria's democracy ahead of the 2027 polls.
Bwala: Onaiyekan Speaks for Catholics, Not All Christians
Reacting in a post on X , the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Daniel Bwala, faulted the Cardinal's remarks, arguing that he was expressing the views of the Catholic Church and not those of the entire Christian community.
Bwala further alleged that the Catholic Church had shown support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, recalling Obi's 2022 "take back your country" remarks made within Catholic circles.
"Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn't speaking for Christians; he was speaking for Catholics, the very institutions rooting for Peter Obi. In fact, likely the institution where Peter Obi also said in 2022, 'take back your country.'
"Therefore, the Cardinal is more political than spiritual. And not all Catholic members are supporting Peter Obi," Bwala wrote.
The presidential aide maintained that President Tinubu was entitled to reject the bishops' assessment of the economy.
"The President was well within his right to disagree with their assertion as regards Nigeria's economy based purely on facts, statistics and numbers put into context," he said.
Bwala also accused the cleric of inconsistency, claiming that some priests discourage members from publicly expressing economic hardship.
"Ironically, the same priest would rebuke their members if the members said, 'we are suffering or we are poor.' They would tell them rather to say, 'we are doing great' or 'we are rich,' even when they are suffering or poor," he added.
He further argued that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which represents Christians across denominations, should remain neutral on political matters, warning that any deviation from neutrality would amount to partisanship.
