Timi Frank Backs Catholic Bishops’ Stand on Tinubu’s Economy, One-Party State Warning

• Former APC chieftain Timi Frank praised the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria for challenging President Tinubu on the economy
• Frank called out some Pentecostal leaders, alleging they visit the Presidential Villa and return with ‘envelopes’ instead of speaking truth
• The ex-APC spokesman urged Muslim and Christian leaders to tell Tinubu he has failed and should not seek a second term in 2027

Abuja, FCT – Former All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy national publicity secretary, Comrade Timi Frank, has praised the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for directly challenging President Bola Tinubu over the state of the economy and cautioning him against steering Nigeria towards a one-party system.

Frank, in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, August 2, said the bishops showed a rare form of courage by speaking frankly to the president about what he described as the harsh realities facing ordinary Nigerians.

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“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 added that Tinubu should take the bishops’ words seriously.

“The President should heed their advice. By doing so, he will save himself from embarrassment. These are true leaders, and we expect other religious bodies to follow the example set by the Catholic leaders,” he said.

Frank Targets Pentecostal Leaders

Frank drew a sharp contrast between the Catholic bishops and what he described as the behaviour of some Pentecostal clergy who visit the Presidential Villa. He alleged that some of them leave without delivering difficult messages to the President.

“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.

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He questioned why religious leaders with knowledge of the country’s problems continue to offer only prayers to the President rather than holding him to account.

Frank Accuses Tinubu of Deepening Nigeria’s Problems

Beyond his comments on religious leadership, Frank also levelled a series of accusations at the Tinubu administration. He alleged that corruption, insecurity, poverty and unemployment had all worsened under the President’s watch, and that democratic institutions and opposition political parties had been deliberately weakened.

“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,” Frank said.

He further claimed the administration was working to rig the 2027 general elections, alleging that Tinubu would not survive a 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,” Frank said.

He also called on Muslim and other Christian leaders to follow the Catholic bishops’ lead by openly challenging government policies they consider harmful to Nigerians.

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“They should tell President Tinubu that he has failed and that, having failed, he should not seek another term,” Frank said.

Presidency berates Onaiyekan over bishops’ meeting with Tinubu

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the presidency berated the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, Cardinal, for revealing what transpired during Thursday’s closed-door meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

The CBCN, led by its president, Matthew Ndagoso, met with President Tinubu, during which it outlined areas of concern in the country, which include security, quality tertiary education and limited spaces, sustaining gains of democracy, credible elections, and poverty.

Source: Legit.ng