…when moral authority begins to echo political opposition
By Seye OLADEJO
In every democracy, the voices of religious leaders matter. They often provide the moral compass that reminds governments of their obligations to the people and calls society back to the ideals of justice, compassion and accountability. Nigeria has been fortunate to have eminent clerics whose interventions have enriched national discourse over the years.
Among them is Bishop John Onaiyekan, a man whose decades of service have earned him widespread respect across religious and political divides.
That is precisely why his latest comments on the Tinubu administration deserve careful interrogation.
The issue is not whether the Bishop has the constitutional or moral right to criticise government. He certainly does. Democracy would be poorer without such voices. The real question is whether his interventions still reflect the detached moral authority expected of a statesman or whether they increasingly mirror the language, priorities and conclusions of partisan opposition politicians.
It is difficult to ignore the resemblance.
The biblical story of Jacob and Esau provides a fitting metaphor. When Isaac hesitated before giving his blessing, he observed: “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” Today, one hears the unmistakable voice of a respected cleric, yet the political fingerprints increasingly resemble those of an opposition that has struggled to gain electoral legitimacy and now seeks validation through influential non-partisan voices.
Every administration deserves scrutiny. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is no exception. However, scrutiny must be fair, consistent and rooted in the full context of national realities.
Nigeria did not become economically distressed in May 2023.
The administration inherited an economy weighed down by unsustainable fuel subsidies, multiple exchange rates, ballooning debt service obligations, declining oil revenues, insecurity, infrastructure deficits and decades of postponed structural reforms. These were not campaign slogans; they were stubborn realities confronting any incoming government.
Faced with those realities, President Tinubu chose reform over convenience. He opted for difficult decisions instead of politically attractive postponements. Predictably, the reforms imposed immediate pain. Equally predictably, those opposed to the government have exploited that pain as political capital.
Yet honest observers also acknowledge the other side of the ledger.
States now enjoy unprecedented revenues from the Federation Account. Massive investments are underway in transportation, healthcare, agriculture and education. Tax reforms are broadening the revenue base. Security operations have intensified. Foreign investor confidence is gradually returning. Inflationary trends have begun to moderate compared with previous peaks, while several macroeconomic indicators suggest that the economy is stabilising after an inevitable adjustment period.
These are not declarations of mission accomplished. They are signs that reforms, though painful, are beginning to yield results.
Unfortunately, many critics deliberately ignore these developments.
Instead, every economic hardship is presented as evidence of failure, while every positive indicator is dismissed as irrelevant. Such selective analysis is no longer objective criticism; it becomes political advocacy disguised as moral commentary.
One also notices a curious inconsistency in Nigeria’s public conversation.
Those who now passionately condemn every policy of the Tinubu administration were noticeably restrained when previous governments presided over unprecedented insecurity, runaway subsidy fraud, collapsing refineries, exchange-rate distortions and mounting fiscal irresponsibility.
Moral consistency demands equal courage regardless of who occupies Aso Rock.
Religious leaders occupy a unique position because society trusts them to rise above partisan passions. Their interventions should unite rather than divide, illuminate rather than inflame, challenge power without appearing to align with political interests.
This expectation is particularly important at a time when opposition parties remain fragmented, ideologically incoherent and desperate for narratives capable of weakening public confidence in the government. Every statement from respected national figures inevitably becomes political ammunition.
That reality imposes an even greater burden of balance.
No reasonable supporter of President Tinubu claims that Nigerians are not experiencing hardship. They are. The President himself has repeatedly acknowledged the sacrifices citizens are making. What distinguishes responsible leadership is not the denial of hardship but the determination to confront the root causes instead of administering temporary political sedatives.
History rarely celebrates leaders who avoided difficult decisions. It remembers those who confronted difficult realities.
The Renewed Hope Agenda should therefore be judged not by temporary discomfort alone but by its long-term capacity to rebuild an economy that had become structurally unsustainable.
Constructive criticism remains indispensable. But criticism divorced from context risks becoming an instrument of politics rather than an expression of patriotism.
Bishop Onaiyekan’s stature gives his words extraordinary influence. That influence should continue to inspire national reflection, not inadvertently reinforce partisan narratives.
Nigeria needs prophetic voices. It also needs balanced voices.
There is an important difference.
When criticism consistently amplifies only one side of the national conversation, the inevitable question becomes unavoidable: Is this still the independent voice of a revered cleric, or has it become another echo in the crowded chamber of opposition politics?
That is the question Bishop Onaiyekan’s latest intervention leaves many Nigerians asking.
And until future interventions demonstrate greater balance, many will continue to conclude that while the voice may be that of Jacob, the hands increasingly appear to belong to Esau.
*Oladejo is a Lagos APC Chieftain
