Cardinal Onaiyekan Warns: Tinubu Government Determined to Win 2027 “By All Means”
(By The Political Razzmatazz Editorial Team | Political News)
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the highly respected former Archbishop of Abuja, has raised serious alarms regarding the upcoming 2027 general elections.
According to the respected cleric, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is absolutely determined to retain power by any means necessary. He warned that the government has “a lot of means at their disposal to win,” raising fears that even if the citizens cast a free and fair vote, it might not guarantee that the voice of the people will ultimately count.
A Frosty Meeting at the Presidential Villa
These strong warnings come on the heels of a highly controversial meeting between President Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.
The meeting took place at the State House on July 28, 2026. According to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Bishops did not hold back. They presented a deeply concerning picture of the country, plainly telling the President that the nation was “bleeding” due to worsening economic hardship, rising poverty, and persistent insecurity.
However, Tinubu pushed back firmly. According to Onaiyekan, the President completely disagreed with the Bishops’ assessment.
“We told him the economy is not helping our poor people; he told us the economy is doing fine. Frankly speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us.” — Cardinal John Onaiyekan
Onaiyekan noted that the President is surrounded by people who constantly paint a “rosy picture” of the country, which is far from the reality on the ground. The Bishops felt it was their duty to deliver the harsh truth, even if it was not what the President wanted to hear.
Questioning INEC’s Independence
Beyond the economy, Cardinal Onaiyekan also directly challenged President Tinubu’s claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a neutral body.
He pointed out a major structural flaw that casts doubt on the commission’s independence: the INEC Chairman and all of its national commissioners were appointed by the President himself. According to the Cardinal, as long as the leadership of the electoral body is handpicked by the sitting President, public confidence in its true neutrality will remain deeply in doubt.
The Presidency Fires Back
The Cardinal’s remarks have already drawn massive pushback from the Presidency.
Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, quickly responded, accusing Onaiyekan of political bias.
Bwala argued that the Cardinal was acting more like a politician than a spiritual leader. He framed Onaiyekan’s comments as being aligned with the Catholic Church’s perceived support for Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians, he was speaking for Catholics, the very institutions rooting for Peter Obi… Therefore, Cardinal is more political than spiritual.” — Daniel Bwala
The Presidency further defended Tinubu’s response to the Bishops, stating that the President has the right to disagree with their assessment based on facts, statistics, and the progress his administration is making.
What do you think about Cardinal Onaiyekan’s warning for 2027? Let us know in the comments section below!