The Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has lauded the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s public plea for forgiveness, describing it as a rare and “impressive” gesture coming from someone of his stature and experience.
Speaking during an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday, Onaiyekan reflected on Buhari’s final message to Nigerians before his death, noting that the former leader’s willingness to acknowledge that he may have wronged people, despite claiming he acted in the nation’s best interest, was a moment of deep reflection and humility.
Onaiyekan said, “Definitely it is impressive when someone at his age would ask, and with all that he has done, would ask that those whom he has hurt should forgive him.”
The respected cleric explained that such an admission from a former military Head of State and two-term civilian President was not only unusual but also deserving of commendation.
Cardinal Onaiyekan also pointed out that Buhari’s final statement did not distinguish whether the harm caused during his administration was intentional or perceived, but said the distinction was less important than the gesture of asking for forgiveness.
He said, “We can presume that he knows first that he must have hurt many people, but what we don’t know is whether he is asking for forgiveness because he hurt them deliberately, or whether the hurt that he caused was really not true and he has no guilt about those hurt.
“But when you are a head of state, you step on many toes. Sometimes too you have to step on some toes. It is neither here nor there, but it was wise of him to say, ‘let Nigerians forgive me.’
“I imagine I’m taking that from the point of view of his faith, of his religious position. He’s a man who believes that it’s time to start putting your house in order with the almighty God.”
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