Catholic bishops not cheerleaders, Atiku tells presidency

• Says attacks on Cardinal Onaiyekan show intolerance of dissent • Demands apology to Catholic Church, faithful
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has lambasted the Presidency over its criticism of John Cardinal Onaiyekan following his comments after a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), insisting that Catholic bishops are “not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers.”
The 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the Presidency’s reaction to the respected cleric reflected what he described as a growing intolerance of dissent and independent voices u...