Caution against politicizng CBCN’s engagement with Tinubu
The recent controversy over the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria’s (CBCN) visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has prompted a broader conversation about the place of dissenting voices in Nigeria’s democracy.
For the Knights of St. John International and Ladies Auxiliary (KSJI), the issue is whether a respected institution can raise concerns about the state of the nation without being cast as a political opponent.
In an open letter to President Tinubu, signed in Lagos by Sir Peter Osamgbi, Chairman of the KSJI Strategic Communication Committee, the Knights backed the Bishops’ engagement with the Presidency and urged the administration to distinguish legitimate national dialogue from partisan politics.
The intervention followed the public controversy surrounding the Bishops’ Abuja visit, particularly suggestions by some presidential spokespersons that the engagement carried a political or partisan undertone.
The KSJI disagreed, arguing that the Bishops’ decision to speak about the condition of the country should not, by itself, be interpreted as political opposition.
“The fact that a respected religious institution raises concerns about the state of the nation does not transform that institution into a political opposition,” the Knights stated.
They stressed that the CBCN is neither a political party nor an opposition platform, but the collective pastoral leadership of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, whose engagement with successive governments has addressed issues including insecurity, justice, good governance, religious harmony, education and the welfare of citizens.
The Knights also pointed to what they described as the balanced character of the Bishops’ intervention. During their visit, the Bishops commended the Federal Government over the release of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State and welcomed the prosecution of persons arrested in connection with kidnapping and banditry.
They also acknowledged the administration’s efforts in education, particularly through the Students Loan Scheme and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund).
For the KSJI, these commendations demonstrate that concern over government policies does not amount to hostility towards government. A credible institution, it argued, should be able to applaud what is right, question what is troubling and remain committed to the common good.
The Knights therefore urged President Tinubu and other political leaders to accommodate opposing views from credible and apolitical stakeholders, warning against the tendency to interpret every criticism of government through a partisan lens.
Their intervention comes against the backdrop of the CBCN’s longstanding engagement with public authorities on matters affecting the nation’s welfare. The Bishops’ pastoral work, the Knights noted, places them in direct contact with the realities of insecurity, poverty, displacement, educational challenges and other forms of social hardship confronting Nigerians.
The KSJI’s message to the Presidency is consequently straightforward: democratic confidence must be broad enough to accommodate disagreement.
Government is not weakened because credible institutions question its policies, just as every institution that raises difficult questions should not be labelled an opposition force.
For the Knights, the more constructive response is to listen to the substance of criticism, acknowledge what deserves commendation and engage what requires explanation.
That, ultimately, is the kind of national dialogue Nigeria needs: one in which credible institutions can speak freely, government can listen without politicizing dissent, and both remain focused on the common good.
