Ajayi Defends Tinubu, Accuses Cardinal Onaiyekan of Violating Trust After Bishops’ Meeting

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has mounted a robust defence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following comments made by Cardinal John Onaiyekan after a recent meeting between the President and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

Ajayi accused the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja of breaching the confidentiality expected of participants in a private audience with the President, describing his decision to publicly recount the discussions as an abuse of what he called “clerical privilege.”

The presidential aide made the remarks in a lengthy article titled “Cardinal Onaiyekan’s Abuse of Clerical Privilege,” published on his verified Facebook page.

According to Ajayi, the meeting between President Tinubu and the Catholic bishops was organised at the request of the religious leaders, who sought an opportunity to present their concerns over Nigeria’s economy, security challenges, governance, and other national issues.

He said the President graciously accepted the request, listened carefully to every concern raised, and responded comprehensively to the issues presented during the engagement.

Ajayi argued that the discussions should have remained confidential after the meeting ended, adding that it was inappropriate for one of the participants to immediately grant interviews presenting his personal interpretation of what transpired behind closed doors.

“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,” Ajayi stated.

“It is, in my view, an abuse of clerical privilege.”

According to the presidential spokesman, the bishops exercised their democratic right by drawing the President’s attention to the country’s challenges.

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However, he rejected suggestions that Tinubu ignored or dismissed those concerns.

Ajayi insisted that the President responded to every issue raised, including calls for the return of mission schools to religious organisations.

He explained that Tinubu reminded the bishops that education falls largely under state governments and therefore advised them to pursue the matter with governors rather than the Presidency.

Ajayi noted that the President also reminded the bishops that he personally approved the return of mission schools while serving as Governor of Lagos State.

On the economy, Ajayi said President Tinubu acknowledged that many Nigerians continue to experience hardship but stressed that difficult economic reforms were necessary to rescue the country from fiscal collapse.

He argued that the administration inherited a fragile economy and has since implemented policies that have stabilised public finances and improved revenue available to states.

According to him, the improved financial position has enabled many state governments to pay salaries and pensions more consistently than before.

He maintained that while economic challenges persist, it would be unfair to ignore the gains already recorded by the administration.

Ajayi also defended Tinubu’s comments on security, saying the President never denied the seriousness of insecurity but merely highlighted progress recorded by security agencies across different regions.

As Commander-in-Chief, he said, Tinubu receives classified operational reports and intelligence assessments unavailable to the public.

Because of this, Ajayi argued, the President is in a better position to evaluate the country’s overall security situation than commentators relying solely on media reports.

He further dismissed the notion that President Tinubu depends on religious leaders to understand public opinion.

According to Ajayi, the President receives daily intelligence reports, monitors television discussions, reads numerous newspapers and obtains feedback from various government institutions.

He also rejected attempts to portray the Catholic bishops as the only moral voice representing Nigerians.

“They are an important constituency, but they are not the exclusive custodians of the nation’s conscience,” he wrote.

Ajayi concluded that mutual respect demanded confidentiality after the meeting and urged public figures occupying influential positions to exercise greater discretion when discussing private engagements with the President.