Orji Uzor Kalu Defends Tinubu Amid Bishops Controversy

Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator representing Abia North, says President Bola Tinubu is not responsible for Nigeria's hardship, insisting that the Orji Uzor Kalu-Tinubu bishops' exchange should be read as an act of guidance rather than an attack.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria visited Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on July 28, where they raised concerns about the economy, insecurity, and the country's political climate.

Afterward, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, revealed on Arise Television's Prime Time that Tinubu firmly disagreed with the bishops' assessment.

"When the nation is bleeding, you cannot expect a polite meeting with the Head of State. We told him the economy is not helping our poor people; he told us the economy is doing fine. Frankly speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us," Onaiyekan said.

Reacting in a video that quickly went viral, Kalu argued that politicians around Tinubu have been giving him a false picture of the country, while the bishops have been honest.

"The Catholic bishops are the conscience of the country, and once they give advice, their advice is not for or against, it's just for any sitting President to see things the way it should be," Kalu said.

He was direct about where responsibility lies for the country's difficulties.

"The Catholic bishops are aware of the situation in the country. There are real difficulties in Nigeria, but they are not President Tinubu's fault," he said.

Kalu framed the bishops' visit as ultimately good for governance.

"The Catholic bishops' visit to President Tinubu is a good one; I support it because they are telling him the way it is. It prompts the president to work harder because the Catholic bishops are just telling him the way it is. Even if politicians are lying to him that things are good everywhere, they can never say that. Even if we politicians can lie to him, the bishops will tell him the truth about the current reality of the country," he said.

Kalu's remarks landed in the middle of a wider and sharper political clash. The Presidency has pushed back hard against Onaiyekan, with aides describing his public account of the closed-door meeting as inappropriate and accusing the cardinal of reflecting a political rather than spiritual position. Presidential spokespeople have also argued that Onaiyekan does not speak for all Christians, alleging the Catholic Church has leaned toward opposition figure Peter Obi.

On the other side, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded the Presidency apologize to Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishops' Conference, describing the pushback against the clerics as an affront to one of Nigeria's most credible institutions.