The Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, criticized the Tinubu administration on Wednesday, stating that the living standards of Nigerians have deteriorated drastically over the past two years.
He warned that if President Bola Tinubu continues on this path throughout his term, he risks losing any future free and fair elections.
Speaking to journalists at the Communication Week Public Lecture, hosted by the National Directorate of Social Communications of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) in Abuja, Onaiyekan expressed deep concern about the worsening economic difficulties in the country.
He urged President Tinubu to prioritize improving the quality of life for Nigerians, tackle the growing insecurity, uplift the economy, and fight corruption.
“My advice for Mr. President is to find ways and means of finding out what Nigeria is actually going through but not from those around him who are always praising him to the skies.”
“He should also know how families are managing with ₦30,000 salary a month. Since it is the people that he should serve, he should do more to raise the level of well-being of Nigerians.”
“I don’t think we are unfair to government if we say that in the last two years, our level of well-being has crashed considerably,” he said.
Onaiyekan acknowledged that the government may argue that it is not at fault or that it has done its best, but he emphasized the government’s responsibility to at least maintain, if not improve, Nigerians’ welfare.
“The government may say it’s not their fault. The government may say they’ve done their best, but the government is there to make sure that at least the level of well-being of Nigerians is maintained and, if possible, improved, and I think it is a good time. Two years is halfway through for him to at least try and do that.”
He further advised that if the President shifts focus to policies that truly benefit Nigeria’s poor, “they will remember him forever.”
However, he warned, “But if he continues like this for the rest of his term, if we have a free and fair election, he will not win because how can the country bring him back if we are not feeling good? Obviously, if they are not waiting for us to vote and they already make up their mind if we win, okay, we praise God.”
“We are still 250 million of us here in this country. We are struggling and we shall win. So I’m hoping that the people around Mr. President will give him that advice.”
Regarding election concerns, Cardinal Onaiyekan remarked, “The elections were over two years ago. He doesn’t have to worry again whether he won the election or not.”
“The Supreme Court said he won, so we have agreed now. Now he should just govern, make life as livable as possible for Nigerians, deal with security everywhere, improve the economic level of our people, and fight corruption.”
Reflecting on the previous administration, he stated, “These were the things that his predecessor said he would do Buhari, He didn’t do it. Eight years, and we expect him to do something.”
“So I don’t know any of you who have the possibility to reach him, or the courage to tell him, but that is necessary.”
Earlier in his speech, Onaiyekan stressed the important role of the media in bringing hope and healing to Nigeria amid mounting social, economic, and political challenges.
He called on media professionals to be responsible in their communication, not merely providing information but also inspiration, while fostering peace, dialogue, non-violence, and inclusive leadership.
In his welcome address, Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, explained that the National Communications Week aims to stimulate meaningful discussions and develop actionable plans around critical Church themes.
He said, “The Church’s call for disarmament among nations, a recurrent message in Papal Messages for the World Day of Peace, has now found profound expression in the realm of communications.”
“In his four-section 59th ‘Message for the World Day of Communications, 2025,’ Pope Francis passionately calls for the disarming of communications to rid it of aggression, violence, unhealthy rivalry, and divisive ideologies.”
Also speaking, Shuaib Husseni, Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), noted that Nigeria faces multiple crises including ethnic tensions, religious conflicts, political violence, and misinformation, often worsened by inflammatory media coverage.”
He emphasized that “disarming communication and conflict-sensitive reporting are essential tools for mitigating these conflicts.”
