Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has praised the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for what he described as their courage in confronting President Bola Tinubu with the realities facing the country.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Frank said the bishops deserved commendation for “looking the President in the face” and speaking frankly about the nation’s worsening economic situation, insecurity, and concerns over the country’s democratic direction.
According to him, the bishops demonstrated the kind of leadership Nigerians expect from religious leaders by speaking truth to power rather than remaining silent.
“We commend the Catholic leaders for their courage. We have not seen this kind of courage from religious leaders in Nigeria for a long time. They were brave enough to look the President in the face and tell him the bitter truth,” Frank said.
He urged President Tinubu to heed the bishops’ message, insisting that doing so would help avert further national and political embarrassment.
Frank also called on other Christian and Muslim religious leaders to emulate the Catholic bishops by holding government accountable instead of limiting their engagements with the Presidency to prayers.
He alleged that some religious leaders, particularly within Pentecostal circles, fail to speak honestly after visiting the Presidential Villa.
“Unfortunately, some religious leaders, particularly some Pentecostal leaders, go to the Villa, drink tea with the President and forget what they went there to say. They come back with envelopes and the story becomes different,” he alleged.
According to Frank, religious leaders have a moral responsibility to confront those in authority with the truth, especially when the country is facing severe economic hardship and insecurity.
He further accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over rising corruption, worsening insecurity, deepening poverty, and growing unemployment, while also alleging that democratic institutions and opposition political parties were being systematically weakened.
Questioning the administration’s legacy, Frank asked:
“What legacy is President Tinubu going to leave behind? What will Nigerians remember about his administration when he leaves office?”
He claimed that the government’s record was marked by increased corruption and insecurity, adding that poverty and unemployment had reached unprecedented levels.
Frank also alleged that the administration was laying the groundwork to manipulate the 2027 general election because, in his view, President Tinubu could not secure victory in a genuinely free and fair contest.
“He knows that if there is a free and fair election today, he is not going to come back. Instead of being desperate to destroy political parties and democratic institutions, the President should do the right thing: conduct free and fair elections,” he said.
He further accused the government of interfering with the judiciary to weaken opposition parties and called on the President to respect democratic institutions and electoral processes.
Frank concluded by urging Muslim and Christian leaders across the country to follow the example set by the Catholic bishops by speaking openly against policies they believe are detrimental to Nigerians.
“This is the time to speak the truth. They should tell President Tinubu that he has failed and that, having failed, he should not seek another term,” he said.
