Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has issued a stirring call to religious leaders across the country, urging them to emulate the courage of Cardinal John Onaiyekan by prioritising the welfare of Nigerians and the survival of the nation over personal gain, access to power, or self-serving silence. In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the council declared that the Cardinal had spoken the collective mind of the Nigerian people and that they stand "shoulder-to-shoulder with him in defence of truth, justice, and good governance."
Isah Abubakar, National President of the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, in a statement from Kaduna, called on religious scholars, clerics, and traditional leaders of all faiths—Muslim and Christian alike—to speak with the same moral clarity that Cardinal Onaiyekan demonstrated during the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria's (CBCN) meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on July 28, 2026. "Our faith leaders must prioritise the welfare of the people and the survival of the country over personal gain, access to power, or self-serving silence," Abubakar said.
The NYCN's endorsement comes amid a heated public exchange following the closed-door meeting between President Tinubu and the Catholic bishops. During that engagement, Cardinal Onaiyekan later disclosed in a television interview that the bishops had presented the "true state of the nation," warning that "Nigeria is bleeding" and that the economic hardship and insecurity were far worse than the reports the President often receives from those around him. The Presidency subsequently criticised the Cardinal for publicly revealing details of the private meeting, with some aides describing his actions as an "abuse of clerical privilege."
However, the Northern Youth Council has firmly rejected that characterisation, insisting that Onaiyekan acted as a true patriot. "As a respected elder statesman and moral voice, Cardinal Onaiyekan did nothing more than articulate the daily lived realities of millions of Nigerians battling severe economic hardship, inflation, and pervasive insecurity," the NYCN statement read. "Humanity and future generations will forever remain grateful to His Eminence for his dogged, unwavering resolve to speak truth to power, regardless of the discomfort it causes in the halls of leadership."
The youth council also took aim at presidential aides who have sought to discredit the Cardinal rather than examine his message. Abubakar noted that attempts to dismiss Onaiyekan's courage as an "abuse of clerical privilege" reveal "a concerning detachment from the struggles of the masses." He warned that "shielding the President from the truth through sycophancy and political flattery only deepens the nation's crises."
The NYCN's intervention comes just days after the CBCN, led by Cardinal Onaiyekan, met with President Tinubu to raise concerns about Nigeria's worsening economy and security situation. The bishops had reportedly waited months for the audience and were given only ten minutes to present their concerns. Following the meeting, Onaiyekan told journalists that the President did not respond favourably to their assessment, adding that he was not surprised by Tinubu's reaction because it differed from the positive reports the President often receives from his aides.
In his interview with Arise Television, Onaiyekan had said: "The President rejected our concerns about the country. Nigeria is bleeding. I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy, nor were those with him. We knew that what we said was different from the kind of reports the President often receives from many people around him, and that is one of the things that worries us."
The Northern Youth Council's statement has added significant weight to the growing chorus of voices rallying behind the Catholic bishops. The group stressed that the bishops had no political ambition and were motivated solely by their moral responsibility to speak on behalf of suffering Nigerians. "Rather than seeking political favour or personal comfort, he chooses to present the unfiltered condition of the nation directly to the Commander-in-Chief," the NYCN said of Cardinal Onaiyekan.
The council also challenged the Presidency to engage with the substance of the bishops' concerns rather than attacking the messenger. "What exactly did Cardinal Onaiyekan say that is not the present reality of the country?" the statement asked.
The NYCN's endorsement of Cardinal Onaiyekan stands in contrast to the position of another northern Christian youth group, the Northern Nigeria Christian Youth Association (NNCYA), which had earlier called on religious leaders to exercise restraint in their public comments following private engagements with the President. The NNCYA had argued that access to the President should be regarded as "a sacred opportunity for intercession and counsel rather than a platform for public commentary."
However, the NYCN has taken a different view, insisting that speaking truth to power is itself a sacred duty, and that the Cardinal's courage should serve as an example to all religious leaders across Nigeria. The council's statement reflects a growing frustration among young Nigerians with what they perceive as a culture of sycophancy and silence among religious and traditional leaders, even as millions of citizens struggle with soaring inflation, unemployment, and insecurity.
As the political season intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections, the NYCN's call for faith leaders to emulate Cardinal Onaiyekan's courage has added a new dimension to the national conversation about the role of religious institutions in holding government accountable. The council's message is clear: the days of silence are over, and those who have the ear of the powerful must use it to speak for the voiceless, regardless of the personal cost.
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