Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has criticised the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Bishop Stephen Adegbite, over his comments concerning Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.
Dalung, in a statement shared on his verified Facebook page on Saturday, said Catholic bishops have the constitutional and moral right to criticise the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The former minister’s reaction followed Adegbite’s recent remarks that Onaiyekan and other critics of the Tinubu administration were free to support any presidential candidate of their choice but should not discredit other contenders.
Adegbite had also argued that issues discussed during the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) meeting with President Tinubu ought to have remained confidential.
Responding, Dalung accused Adegbite of attempting to portray Catholic bishops as political opponents of the Tinubu government simply because they criticised some government policies.
He said while it was acceptable for Adegbite to support the President and defend his administration, questioning the intentions of the Catholic bishops without evidence was inappropriate.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with a bishop supporting a President.
“There is nothing wrong with him believing that Tinubu is doing a good job. There is nothing wrong with him defending the government when he believes the government is being unfairly attacked. He should rather provide facts of his criticism,” Dalung stated.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.