Tinubu not ready for free, fair election, determined to remain in power – Cardinal Onaiyekan raises alarm

Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja John Cardinal Onaiyekan has issued a sharp warning that the President Bola Tinubu is determined to secure victory in the 2027 elections through every available resource.

Speaking in an Arise News interview the cardinal stated that the government possesses extensive means and is actively deploying them in ways that could render the will of the people irrelevant even under conditions of a free and fair poll.

The remarks come shortly after a Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria delegation including Onaiyekan met Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

The bishops expressed deep concern over insecurity widespread poverty and what they described as shrinking political space with a clear risk of the nation drifting toward a one-party system.

They insisted on the need for free, fair and credible elections in 2027. Tinubu responded by declaring that he will not make it easy for the opposition to unseat him in the 2027 general election, describing the coming political contest as a fight to the finish.

Onaiyekan further noted that those surrounding the president often present an overly positive picture of national conditions that does not match the lived reality of ordinary citizens.

The cardinal’s intervention adds significant weight to growing calls for genuine democratic safeguards ahead of the next general elections.