Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has cautioned state governors, including Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, against attempting to dictate to citizens who they should support in the 2027 presidential election.
Onaiyekan made the remarks on Thursday in Enugu while speaking on Nigeria’s electoral process and concerns surrounding the credibility of future elections.
The cardinal maintained that voters, particularly those in the South-East, should be allowed to make independent choices at the polls, stressing that governors have only one vote like every other eligible citizen.
“It is not the duty of Governor Soludo or other governors to tell people who to vote for. They only have one vote,” Onaiyekan said.
He also called for greater commitment to credible elections, arguing that conducting free and fair elections should not be treated as an overly complicated task.
“Elections are not rocket science; they can be conducted freely and fairly,” he said.
Onaiyekan further expressed concern over the quality of elections conducted in Nigeria, saying the country had yet to attain the level of seriousness expected in a democratic system.
His comments followed recent remarks by Soludo in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, where the governor urged voters to adopt what he described as a strategic approach to elections.
While commissioning the 3km Ozu-Inyaba-Ozubulu-Ihembosi Road and other projects in the area, Soludo questioned the contributions of some politicians to the development of the South-East.
He asked voters to assess what political leaders had brought to the region after years of participating in politics.
“After a soldier goes to war, what is the evidence of his war? After 10, 15 years, what has happened? What did you bring for Igbo people?” Soludo asked.
The governor also criticised unnamed political figures over the continued challenges posed by erosion in parts of Anambra, questioning whether those who had failed to address such problems should be entrusted with greater responsibilities.
Soludo also promoted the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), saying the party remained a platform through which, in his view, Anambra and the wider Igbo community could advance their interests.
“This is where APGA is; Igboland will be better. Anambra will get its right,” he said.
However, Onaiyekan maintained that the ultimate decision on who should govern the country belongs to the electorate and should not be dictated by political office holders.
The cardinal also commented on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman, Joash Amupitan, noting that the electoral body’s leadership had expressed its commitment to improving the electoral process.
“INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, came and said he would surprise us,” Onaiyekan said.
He further disclosed that Catholic bishops had raised concerns about Nigeria’s political environment during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the bishops warned that the political space was becoming unstable and that the conduct of free and fair elections was under threat.
“When we bishops visited President Tinubu, we reminded him that the political space was shaking and that free and fair elections were being threatened,” he said.
