Arise Television’s The Morning Show anchor, Rufai Oseni, on Monday accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, government of President Bola Tinubu of hypocrisy over its recent reactions to comments by Cardinal John Onaiyekan on the state of the nation.
Oseni said the ruling party had celebrated Onaiyekan as a courageous voice of truth when he criticised the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014, but had turned against the cleric for making similar remarks under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Recalling Onaiyekan’s visit to the Presidential Villa in November 2014, Oseni said the APC at the time praised the Catholic cleric for speaking truth to power and embraced his criticisms of the Jonathan government.
According to him, the party described Onaiyekan as a voice of reason and readily amplified his comments during the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
He questioned why the same party was now criticising the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja for expressing concerns over Nigeria’s current economic and social challenges.
Oseni argued that those attacking Onaiyekan were merely defending the government because of their political affiliations, insisting that the country’s economic hardship was evident to many Nigerians.
Oseni said: “Hypocrisy of the APC this morning, what a job to do. I don’t need to talk much as regards this Cardinal Onaiyekan debacle. All I need to do is take you back to November 2014. My colleague seated here with me, Dr Abati, remembers that interface.
” In November 2014, a certain Cardinal, John Onaiyekan came to the Villa. He said things were not well in the country. This same APC called Cardinal John Onaiyekan a voice of reason. They praised him to the highest heaven. This same APC.
“They said everything well about Cardinal John Onaiyekan. In fact, there are many APC people that saw him as a symbol of speaking truth to power. They were happy to take pictures with him in public and call him our own Oscar Romero. They loved him. They lapped him up. They took Cardinal Onaiyekan’s criticism, and they lapped it up. A colleague here, Dr Abati, was on the receiving end then.
“But the question we shall ask them today is: What changed? Isn’t Cardinal Onaiyekan a person of speaking truth to power any longer?
“There was no problem with it when Onaiyaiken spoke truth against Goodluck Jonathan. You lapped it up. You took the sound bites. You said it was a divine representation that things were not well. But when he says the same thing to you, then you start to legislate and lecture him on spiritual, ecclesiastical and episcopal matters. But when he said it in 2015 or 2014, it was a good thing then.
“So for all of those that have replied and said one or two things about Onaiyekan, yes, you will say those things to justify your paymasters and make it look as if you’re working for your paymaster. You wouldn’t do otherwise because you have to defend where you’re getting your pay.
“Can’t you see that your hypocrisy speaks so loud, people cannot hear what you say? Can’t you see it is shocking that you yourself that are suffering the biting economic pangs and the conditions in this country, that more people have had to ask you for money, and more people have had to depend on you because you’re in government?
“Can’t you see that it is hypocritical? Because you must not be seen to come outside to say things are not well when you deeply know that things are not well.
“So it’s a daunting job for me this morning to respond to the hypocrisy. My practical response will be, dear APC, what changed? Cardinal Onaiyekan was a hero in 2014. Why is he not a hero today? Is it because of the mandate? And whose mandate should Cardinal Onaiyekan speak for? Mandate of men, or mandate of God? God and conscience. That’s a question for you.”
