A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jonathan Vatsa, has openly challenged the Presidency’s handling of criticism from the Catholic Church, warning that attacks on senior Christian clerics could exact a heavy political cost on President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a rare rebuke from within the ruling party, the former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism urged presidential spokespersons Daniel Bwala and Bayo Onanuga to stop what he described as attempts to discredit Catholic bishops whose observations on hunger, insecurity and economic hardship reflected the daily realities confronting millions of Nigerians.
Speaking in a statement issued in Minna on Wednesday, Vatsa said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria had fulfilled its moral and spiritual responsibility by speaking truth to power, insisting that its message should have provoked reflection rather than hostility from government officials.
He warned that sustained attacks on respected Christian leaders risk deepening distrust between the Tinubu administration and the Christian community, describing the development as politically unwise at a time the government is seeking broader national support.
“The bishops did not visit the Presidency to seek favours, appointments or contracts. They went there to present the concerns of ordinary Nigerians who are grappling with hunger, insecurity, poverty and economic uncertainty,” he said.
According to Vatsa, attempts to dismiss or ridicule the bishops’ intervention amount to ignoring the plight of citizens struggling to survive amid rising living costs and persistent security challenges.
He maintained that religious leaders have a moral obligation to speak on behalf of the vulnerable and should not be vilified for drawing attention to the country’s socio-economic realities.
The APC stalwart also took a swipe at Bwala and Onanuga over their comments on Cardinal John Onaiyekan, saying public officials should engage respected religious leaders with civility and restraint rather than confrontation.
He challenged the presidential aides to embark on fact-finding visits across parts of the country, particularly communities devastated by insecurity and poverty, if they doubted the bishops’ assessment of the nation’s condition.
Vatsa cited the plight of internally displaced persons, abandoned farmlands caused by insecurity, struggling pensioners and widespread food insecurity as evidence that the concerns raised by the bishops were rooted in reality rather than politics.
He argued that no government benefits from silencing voices that highlight genuine public concerns, adding that constructive criticism should be embraced as an opportunity to improve governance.
“The government should see the bishops as partners in nation-building, not political adversaries. Dismissing their message will not make the hardship disappear. Nigerians want solutions, not a war of words,” he said.
Vatsa urged President Tinubu to caution his media aides and encourage greater openness to dissenting views, stressing that listening to credible voices, including faith leaders, would strengthen rather than weaken his administration.