Onaiyekan: Catholic Bishops Cannot Reduce Tinubu’s Reform Agenda to Failure — Presidency

The Presidency has defended President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, insisting that recent criticisms by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria do not reflect the realities of the challenges inherited by the current administration.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said it was unfair to portray Tinubu’s transformation agenda as a failure, arguing that the President assumed office at a time Nigeria was facing severe economic and structural difficulties.

Dare made the remarks in a post shared on his official X account on Sunday, following comments by Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, after a meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

During the meeting held on July 28, 2026, the bishops reportedly raised concerns over the country’s economic situation, insecurity and the overall political climate. Speaking afterward, Cardinal Onaiyekan disclosed that the President disagreed with the bishops’ assessment, maintaining that his administration was making significant progress in addressing the nation’s challenges.

Responding to the remarks, Dare said the bishops should not overlook the difficult conditions under which the administration began its work.

According to him, the Tinubu administration inherited a nation burdened by economic instability, financial constraints and failing institutions, making comprehensive reforms unavoidable.

He argued that the President had demonstrated political courage by implementing difficult but necessary policies aimed at rebuilding the economy and restoring national confidence.

Dare described the administration’s ongoing reforms as a long-term effort designed to reposition Nigeria for sustainable growth rather than produce instant results.

He maintained that evaluating the government’s performance should take into account the condition of the country before Tinubu assumed office.

The presidential aide also stressed that reducing the administration’s multi-sector reform programme to a narrative of failure amounts to an unfair assessment of the work already undertaken.

According to him, the President remains committed to strengthening the economy, improving governance and laying a solid foundation for national development despite the sacrifices required by the ongoing reforms.

He added that while citizens and institutions have the right to express concerns, public discourse should recognise both the scale of the inherited challenges and the efforts being made to address them in the interest of the country.