Former APC chieftain urges other religious leaders to speak up on economy, democracy, 2027 elections_
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Timi Frank, has commended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for what he called their courage in confronting President Bola Tinubu over the state of the nation.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, Frank said the bishops “deserved commendation for looking the President in the face and telling him the bitter truth” about the economy and the dangers of a one-party state.
“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,” he said.
Frank urged President Tinubu to heed the bishops’ advice, arguing that doing so would “save himself from further embarrassment.” He also called on other Christian and Muslim leaders to emulate the CBCN by demanding accountability from government.
The former APC spokesman accused some religious leaders, particularly some Pentecostal leaders, of failing to speak truthfully after visits to 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.
He said religious leaders should go beyond prayers when they know about the country’s challenges.
“When they have the opportunity to tell the President the truth, they simply say they are praying for him. But they know the truth. They know the damage that has been done in this country. How long will they continue to sit and pray when they should be speaking the truth?” Frank asked.
*Allegations on governance and 2027*
Frank also took a swipe at the Tinubu administration, accusing it of worsening corruption, insecurity, poverty and unemployment. He alleged that democratic institutions and political parties have been weakened under the current government.
“What legacy is President Tinubu going to leave behind? What will Nigerians remember about his administration when he leaves office?
“Unfortunately, the legacy Nigerians are seeing is corruption taken to another level and insecurity taken to another level. Poverty and unemployment have also reached unprecedented levels,” he said.
The former APC chieftain further alleged that the government was plotting to manipulate the 2027 general elections because “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.
Frank also accused the administration of “using the judiciary to weaken or destroy opposition political parties” and called for an end to what he described as “too much interference in the judiciary and in democratic institutions.”
He concluded by appealing to Muslim and other Christian leaders to demonstrate the same courage as the Catholic bishops.
“We urge other religious leaders, both Christian and Muslim, to be courageous enough to follow the example of the Catholic leaders. They should look the President in the face and tell him the truth,” Frank said.
The CBCN had earlier met with President Tinubu and raised concerns over the economy, security and threats to Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
