The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has come under criticism over what has been described as a sudden shift in his stance on the issue of religious freedom and alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

In a statement yesterday, Civil Rights Activist, Dr. Thompson Udenwa, faulted Bishop Kukah’s recent comments, recalling that the outspoken cleric had, only a few years ago, been among the leading voices urging the United States Government to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over widespread attacks on Christian communities, church burnings, and targeted killings across parts of the North and Middle Belt.

Udenwa described the Bishop’s new tone as “reflective of inconsistency that should not be seen in political or religious leaders.”

He queried why the same Bishop who, in 2021, addressed the U.S. Congress and criticised the Buhari administration’s alleged indifference to Christian persecution, would now oppose the very designation he once described as “moral justice.”

According to him, “While I distance myself from the political undercurrents in the ongoing debate, I find Bishop Kukah’s recent statement troubling. Not long ago, he stood as one of the loudest voices calling for international recognition of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Today, he appears to have retreated from that conviction.”

Bishop Kukah’s latest remarks were made on October 21, 2025, during the launch of the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Augustinianum Hall, Vatican City. While acknowledging Nigeria’s deep-rooted security and governance challenges, the Bishop cautioned against measures that could isolate the country internationally.

According to him, “Designating my country, Nigeria, a Country of Concern will only make our work in the area of dialogue among religious leaders in our country and elsewhere with the Nigerian state even harder. It will only increase tensions, sow doubt, open windows of suspicion and fear, and simply allow the criminals and perpetrators of violence to exploit.”

Udenwa, however, countered that such reasoning could embolden authorities to continue avoiding accountability for the growing number of unprosecuted attacks on communities of all faiths.

“By his volte-face, Bishop Kukah has demonstrated why religious leaders should remain selfless and consistent in their advocacy,” Udenwa maintained. “What is truth should be upheld as truth. They should not be seen as shifting moral grounds depending on who is in power or what political relationships are at stake.”

The activist further cited a recently released book, “According to the President: Lessons From a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience” by former presidential aide Garba Shehu, which he said documented Bishop Kukah’s earlier campaign that allegedly influenced the Trump administration’s decision to consider sanctions against Nigeria.

Udenwa concluded by urging faith leaders to uphold integrity and resist selective criticism, stressing that those who contributed to Nigeria’s negative image abroad should equally lead efforts to repair it.

“It is better that the hand which did the wrongful campaign should also be the one correcting it,” he noted. (This Day)