Former Rivers State governor and ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of showing “no respect” for the Catholic Church and the Christian faith, alleging the presidency is deploying “attack dogs” to intimidate clerics who criticise the government.
Amaechi made the comments on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. He condemned what he described as assaults on Christian leaders and insisted religious institutions have both a constitutional and moral duty to speak out against poor governance, widespread poverty and worsening insecurity.
“Because he’s sending out attack dogs against the church, he has no respect for the Catholic Church, and they have no respect and regard for the Christian faith,” Amaechi said. He urged Christian leaders to continue preaching against government policies that, he said, have contributed to economic hardship and insecurity.
Asked whether similar criticism from Nigeria’s foremost Muslim cleric, the Sultan of Sokoto, would attract the same response, Amaechi suggested it would not, noting that Islamic clerics often criticise government action without facing comparable attacks. He alleged Christians are being unfairly targeted and reiterated that he opposes politics based on religion or ethnicity. As an example of his personal tolerance, he said he allows Muslim staff to worship at his home.
Amaechi’s remarks follow a public row between the Presidency and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) after Cardinal John Onaiyekan disclosed details of a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu on July 28 at the Presidential Villa. The CBCN delegation, led by Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji and including Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and Cardinal Onaiyekan, presented an assessment of Nigeria’s socioeconomic challenges, citing rising poverty, inflation and insecurity.
Cardinal Onaiyekan later told ARISE News that he and other bishops had warned the President the economy was failing the poor, but that Tinubu rejected that view, saying the nation was “not bleeding.” Onaiyekan also criticised what he described as a culture of sycophancy around the President and voiced concern that incumbency could be used to “win at all costs” in 2027.
The Presidency responded with sharp rebuttals. Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi accused Onaiyekan of breaching confidential state‑house protocol and lacking prudence. Media aide Daniel Bwala and allies, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, have publicly criticised the Cardinal, suggesting his comments were politically motivated and linked to past support for opposition figures.
Amaechi called on the government and its supporters to desist from attacking Christian leaders and to show respect for the Church and the Christian faith.
