The former Catholic Bishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has criticized the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, for not being honest about the 2023 elections.

He spoke to reporters on Saturday in Rivers State, where he attended the 10th anniversary of the Jesuit Memorial College.

He said Mahmood was misleading Nigerians by claiming that everything went well in the elections when he knew there were problems.

He also said that Nigerians should not accept a country with forged certificates and elections rigged.

He said, “We should reject the lies that this is a country where you can fake your certificates and get away with it. We should reject the lies that you can rig elections and tell us to go to court. These things have consequences. Jesus says the truth will set you free. They have a big problem of trust.

“It is better to admit that things did not go well. If we don’t face the truth, we will not make progress”.

“I was sad when I saw Professor Mahmood on TV, even yesterday, saying that everything was perfect. He knows he was not telling the truth.”

Speaking further, the Cardinal said that he would pray for God to forgive Nigeria and reveal the truth.

He said, “I am a religious person and I keep praying to God to forgive us and show us the truth because if we know the truth, things will move fast. Nigerians are amazing and I still hope things will improve quickly.”

“No matter what the courts decide, no matter what the judges say, the truth will set us free,” he added.