By Muazu Elazeh

More than a week after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) visited the president, reactions to the encounter by some of the country’s most influential clerics at Aso Rock presidential villa have lingered. That visit continues to spark controversy, with public commentary and heated arguments refusing to abate, especially across social media.

Interestingly, the harshest criticism of what many now see not just as the bishops’ position, but as a reflection of the mood of millions of Nigerians, comes from within the Villa itself—particularly from members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s media team.

When Aso Rock approved the bishops’ request for a courtesy visit, was it expecting them to arrive and sing, ‘On your mandate we shall stand’? Was the expectation that they would join the growing army of praise singers who troop into the Presidential Villa to reassure the president that all is well?

True to form, those in the political circle must have mistakenly expected praise or endorsement rather than direct criticism of government policies. That was an odd expectation. It would equate to reducing respected religious leaders to political cheerleaders whose role is to applaud instead of admonish. I do not believe the Villa was expecting that.

Judging by the intense reactions that followed the meeting, especially Cardinal Onaiyekan’s appearance on Arise TV, it was evident that Aso Villa was not prepared for the bishops’ message. There is no evidence to suggest the administration was willing to accept their homilies in good faith. The entire episode reminded me of “An Inconvenient Truth,” the well-known documentary featuring Al Gore, the former Vice President of the United States.

Released in 2006, the documentary aimed to explain the science of climate change. Using graphs, research, and compelling storytelling, Gore showed how rising carbon emissions, melting ice caps, and extreme weather were no longer distant threats but were becoming real. His goal was to make climate change urgent, personal, and impossible to ignore.

The documentary successfully won two Academy Awards, including Best Documentary Feature. More importantly, it brought climate change into mainstream political and public discussion. However, it also faced strong opposition. Many dismissed it. Others criticised Gore personally. Some rejected the message simply because embracing it would mean facing uncomfortable truths.

That is exactly what happened after the Catholic bishops met President Tinubu. They presented an inconvenient truth. Frankly, I expected nothing different. If they had visited the president solely to praise him, they would have betrayed their true calling. Religious leaders are not just there to comfort those in power but to tell them the home truth. Their duty is to speak truth, even when that truth is hard to hear. And they did precisely that.

Predictably, their message immediately sparked outrage among sections of the ruling APC and some of the president’s fervent supporters, many of whom accused the clerics of partisanship. Are the bishops wrong? Nigeria today is not where most citizens expected it to be, given the promises the APC made in 2015 and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Across the country, hardship has become the defining reality. Poverty is worsening. Hunger has become widespread. The promise of job creation remains largely unfulfilled. Small businesses, which form the backbone of the national economy, contributing about 50% of GDP and creating roughly 80% of jobs, continue to struggle under harsh economic conditions. Local contractors are owed substantial sums, draining vital liquidity from the economy. Budget implementation remains disappointingly poor. Above all, insecurity remains intractable.

These are the real experiences of most Nigerians, not fabricated stories. That is what the bishops reminded the president about. Yet, some are outrageously upset that the bishops spoke truth to power.

In fairness to the Tinubu administration, not all these issues originated during its tenure. Many were inherited from previous governments. That is an undeniable fact, but this administration was elected on the promise of addressing inherited problems. When it fails to fulfil its promises, as it clearly has, Nigerians are fully justified in criticising it.

Like Al Gore’s documentary, the bishops’ intervention has faced criticism because uncomfortable truths often provoke strong reactions. Some APC supporters have tried to portray the bishops, especially the 82-year-old Cardinal John Onaiyekan, as partisan.

Perhaps those who hold this fragmented view need to be reminded that they are missing the point. The bishops shared the perspectives expressed by millions of ordinary Nigerians with the president. Calling these views partisan does not reduce inflation, create jobs, or combat insecurity. Nor does it erase the fact that, despite removing the fuel subsidy and claiming revenue targets have been met, Nigeria remains on a borrowing spree and is one of the largest debtors to the IDA/World Bank.

The CBCN merely urges the president to tackle rising insecurity, strengthen democratic institutions, and improve citizens’ living standards. Instead of labelling them opposition sympathisers, why can’t Aso Villa focus its efforts on lowering food prices, making medicines more affordable, and enhancing security? The visit was merely an opportunity for the seat of power to improve things.

The bishops highlighted realities that are widely recognised by most Nigerians. A responsible government will listen to their advice and work to improve the situation, rather than misrepresenting their concerns, especially since the Catholic bishops have a history of speaking uncomfortable truths to power.

They have consistently reminded leaders of their responsibilities. They did so under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, President Olusegun Obasanjo and even the late Shehu Shagari during the Second Republic.

No one accused them of partisanship or suggested they were campaigning for an opposition candidate. They were simply recognised as moral voices speaking truth to power. The bishops deserve praise for breaking the pattern of providing the president with convenient figures riddled with falsehoods.

Nigeria’s seats of power, whether at national or subnational levels, are accustomed to vibrant statistics that appeal to the ego of those in power. Beyond these false statistics lies a country where millions struggle with poverty, insecurity, and hopelessness every day; where parents worry about the next meal; where graduates question whether education still offers opportunity; and where families increasingly fear that tomorrow could be even harder than today.

The Villa, APC supporters, and the President’s media defenders are fully entitled to disagree with the bishops. They might question their timing, challenge their conclusions, or even seek to undermine their credibility. None of that changes the core of what was said. Nigerians desire a stronger economy, lower inflation, and an end to insecurity.

Regardless of the attacks from those who feel threatened by the counsel of the bishops, what is certain is that history will remember them for their bravery in speaking the inconvenient truth to power when they could have quietly entered the Villa and sung ‘on your mandate we shall stand’ to the delight of their host.

——Elazeh is the GMD of LEADERSHIP Newspapers and can be reached via @babanyesme