Human rights activist goes after Kukah for his volte-face on Christian persecution, cites his silence Tinubu mounted the saddle in Aso Rock
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“It is confusing that the same bishop who, in 2021, addressed the American Congress and lamented the Buhari administration’s alleged indifference to Christian persecution is now advocating against the very measure [CPC] he once described as moral justice.
“Such a reversal weakens the credibility of religious advocacy and gives the impression that Bishop Kukah’s views are influenced by political sentiments than by principle ….
Religious leaders must be “consistent and selfless in their advocacy. Truth should be upheld regardless of who is in power” – Udenwa, rights activist.
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Human rights activist Thompson Udenwa has called out Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, for his U-turn on Christian persecution in the North, over which he vehemently criticised the late President Muhammadu Buhari but is strangely silent since Bola Tinubu came to power, even with the Christian genocide unrelenting.
He faulted Kukah’s recent remarks he noted contradict his previous advocacy for stronger international action against Nigeria over religious intolerance and genocide in Christian communities.
A few years ago, Udenwa recounted in a statement issued in Abuja, Kukah was among those who urged the United States to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) based on reports of church burnings, targeted killings, and assaults on Christian populations in the North and Middle Belt.
He expressed concern that Kukah’s new counsel that Nigeria should not be designated a CPC is an “inconsistency that should not be seen in political and religious leaders.”
Udenwa said: “It is confusing that the same bishop who, in 2021, addressed the American Congress and lamented the Buhari administration’s alleged indifference to Christian persecution is now advocating against the very measure [CPC] he once described as moral justice.
“Such a reversal weakens the credibility of religious advocacy and gives the impression that Bishop Kukah’s views are influenced by political sentiments than by principle.”
Udenwa cited Kukah’s comments at the launch of the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom held on 21 October 2025 at the Augustinianum Hall, Vatican City.
At the event, he said, Kukah acknowledged Nigeria’s security and governance challenges but advised the international community not to impose sanctions or isolate the country diplomatically.
He acknowledged Kukah’s emphasis on dialogue but argued that such a position could embolden Abuja to continue evading accountability for recurring attacks against communities of faith.
In his view, religious leaders must be “consistent and selfless in their advocacy. Truth should be upheld regardless of who is in power.”
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