John Onaiyekan, the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of being determined to secure victory in the 2027 general election "by all means," warning that the will of voters may ultimately not count.

Onaiyekan made the remarks on Friday during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, following the recent meeting between Tinubu and the leadership of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House, Abuja.

The delegation, led by the CBCN President, Matthew Ndagoso, had on Tuesday presented the bishops' assessment of the country's socio-economic and security situation to the President.

According to Onaiyekan, the speech delivered by the bishops was deliberately prepared to reflect the realities facing Nigerians, including worsening economic hardship and the challenges confronting ordinary citizens.

He said the bishops told the President that the nation was "bleeding" and that the prevailing economic conditions were inflicting severe hardship on the people.

The cardinal observed that Tinubu and senior government officials present at the meeting appeared visibly displeased with the presentation because it differed from the optimistic reports they usually received.

"I was not surprised that he was not looking very happy nor even his colleagues who were there," Onaiyekan said.

"We knew that this is different from the kind of statements that our president keeps receiving from all kinds of people.

"And that is one of the things that worries us, that there are so many people hanging around Mr President giving a rosy picture of what the country is, which it is not.

"Indeed, we have the obligation to help him appreciate the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves."

He added that although the meeting remained civil, it could not have been cordial given the gravity of the issues discussed.

According to him, Tinubu rejected the bishops' assessment, insisting that Nigeria was not bleeding and maintaining that the economy was performing well.

"Practically speaking, he told us quite clearly that he did not agree with us," the cardinal said.

On the political situation ahead of the 2027 general election, Onaiyekan expressed concern over what he described as the administration's determination to retain power.

"We are worried about the fact that we see clearly that our government is bent on winning by all means," he said.

"Unfortunately, they have a lot of means at their disposal to win. Even if we had a free and fair election, the votes of the people may not count."

The cardinal warned that elections must remain free, fair and credible, stressing that any process perceived as lacking integrity could create serious challenges for the country's democracy and stability.