The Lagos State chapter of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) has criticized the Presidency over comments made by the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, regarding an interview granted by Cardinal John Onaiyekan following a meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Ayodele Kazeem, the opposition party described Ajayi’s criticism of the Catholic cleric as “unfortunate” and indicative of what it called an increasing intolerance of dissent by the current administration.

The party was reacting to an article in which Ajayi reportedly accused Cardinal Onaiyekan of “abuse of clerical privilege” for speaking publicly after the meeting between the President and the Catholic bishops.

According to the APM, engagements between the President and recognized national institutions such as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference are matters of public interest and should not be treated as private affairs.

“The office of the President belongs to the Nigerian people, not to any political party or individual,” the party said, arguing that discussing issues affecting millions of Nigerians after such meetings cannot reasonably be regarded as an abuse of privilege.

The party maintained that Nigerians expected the Presidency to respond to concerns raised by the bishops over hunger, poverty, insecurity, unemployment, inflation, declining purchasing power and public confidence in governance, rather than criticizing those who raised the issues.

The APM also defended the role of religious institutions in public discourse, stating that the Church has historically served as the conscience of society by speaking against injustice, corruption and poor governance.

It argued that the Catholic Church was fulfilling its moral obligation by expressing concerns about the welfare of Nigerians and warned against attempts to discourage transparency or suppress differing opinions.

The statement further questioned the Presidency’s assertion that the country had emerged from economic difficulties, citing rising food prices, the depreciation of the naira, business closures, youth unemployment, high living costs and persistent insecurity as challenges still confronting citizens.

According to the party, these realities reflect the daily experiences of Nigerians and cannot be dismissed through official narratives.

The APM stressed that democracy thrives on open dialogue, adding that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference has both constitutional and moral rights to share issues discussed with the President where national welfare is involved.

It also argued that constructive criticism should not be viewed as hostility but as an essential component of democratic governance.

The party further contended that government performance should be measured by improvements in the quality of life of citizens rather than macroeconomic indicators alone, noting that economic statistics have little meaning for families struggling to meet basic needs.

Reaffirming its position, the Lagos APM expressed support for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and Cardinal Onaiyekan for speaking on issues affecting Nigerians.

The party urged the Tinubu administration to focus on improving security, reducing economic hardship, expanding access to healthcare and education, and delivering good governance instead of, in its words, attempting to intimidate critical voices.

It concluded that democracy is strengthened when citizens, religious leaders, civil society organizations and the media are free to hold government accountable, adding that criticism should be regarded as a legitimate safeguard of democratic governance rather than an act of disloyalty.

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