A Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has criticised Cardinal John Onaiyekan over his public comments on the recent closed-door meeting between President Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), describing the cleric’s television interview as an “abuse of clerical privilege.”
Ajayi made the remarks in a statement released on Saturday, August 1, 2026, arguing that Cardinal Onaiyekan acted inappropriately by publicly narrating and interpreting discussions that took place during what he described as a private engagement between the President and the Catholic bishops.
“There is something fundamentally inappropriate about Cardinal John Onaiyekan granting a television interview to offer his own account and interpretation of what transpired during the private meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu. It is, in my view, an abuse of clerical privilege,” Ajayi said.
According to the presidential aide, the bishops exercised their constitutional right by presenting their concerns on Nigeria’s economic, social and security situation, while President Tinubu equally responded point-by-point to the issues raised during the meeting.
Ajayi said the President acknowledged the country’s challenges but rejected what he described as an incomplete assessment of his administration’s performance.
“The President argued that the bishops’ characterisation of the country’s current condition was incomplete and, in several respects, inaccurate. He pointed to measurable progress on the economic, social, and security fronts. He did not pretend that Nigeria’s problems had disappeared. He acknowledged that significant economic and security challenges remain. His point was that the country has emerged from ‘a dark tunnel’, that his administration has laid the foundations for recovery and that the next phase is to ensure the greatest number of Nigerians feels the gains,” he stated.
Responding to concerns raised by the bishops over the return of mission schools, Ajayi said President Tinubu reminded them that education remains under the constitutional jurisdiction of state governments.
“On the bishops’ demand for the return of schools to their owners, the President was surprised that such an issue could be tabled before him, as it is a matter for the states to resolve, in line with our constitution. So, he asked the bishops to take the matter to the governors and reminded them he returned mission schools in Lagos State when he was governor,” he said.
Ajayi also defended the administration’s economic reforms, insisting they helped avert a major fiscal crisis inherited by the current government.
“It is easy to compile a list of national problems. It is far more difficult to acknowledge the disasters that have been averted. Whatever anyone thinks of President Tinubu’s policies, it is impossible to ignore the fiscal crisis he inherited and the measures taken to pull the country away from the edge of a financial cliff,” he said.
According to him, one of the outcomes of the reforms has been improved fiscal stability across states, enabling many governments to meet salary and pension obligations more consistently.
“Countless civil servants and pensioners who, for years, endured unpaid salaries and pensions are now receiving them more regularly… While this does not erase the discomfort many Nigerians still face, it is wrong to dismiss or ignore those improvements casually,” Ajayi added.
On security, the presidential spokesman disagreed with the bishops’ assessment that Nigeria was “bleeding,” maintaining that the President possesses operational intelligence unavailable to the public.
“The bishops declared that Nigeria is bleeding. The President thinks otherwise. President Tinubu did not deny the seriousness of the security situation. Rather, he acknowledged the challenge while outlining the gains recorded by the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies across different theatres of operation,” he said.
“As Commander-in-Chief, he receives operational briefings, intelligence assessments, and battlefield reports unavailable to the general public. The bishops, like other Nigerians, rely largely on media reports and public information.”
Ajayi also dismissed suggestions that President Tinubu required external figures to acquaint him with the realities confronting Nigerians.
“What truth does anyone really need to tell President Tinubu that he does not already know? As president, he has multiple channels for feeling the pulse of the country. He reads an average of 10 newspapers every day. He watches television, including discussion programmes, to gauge public opinion. He receives daily security, social, and economic intelligence reports from various arms of government, reports that are prepared for decision-making and are not sugar-coated,” he said.
He argued that the Catholic bishops were only one of several constituencies that engage the President and should not be regarded as the exclusive voice of the nation’s conscience.
Ajayi further maintained that the meeting between President Tinubu and the bishops reflected the civility expected in a democratic setting and should have remained confidential.
“The Catholic Bishops discharged what they considered their moral obligation by presenting their concerns to the president. President Tinubu, for his part, accorded them respect by granting them an audience and responding to every issue they raised. That exchange reflected the civility expected in a constitutional democracy,” he said.
“It was inappropriate for one of the participants to emerge almost immediately on national television to provide his own version of what was essentially a private conversation with the president. Clerical office carries privileges, but it also imposes obligations.”
The presidential aide concluded that religious leaders should exercise greater restraint in handling matters discussed during privileged engagements with the nation’s leadership, saying such interactions should preserve the dignity and confidentiality expected of both parties.
