Despite the disagreement, Cardinal Onaiyekan said the Bishops were encouraged by the fact that the President responded to the issues they raised, indicating that he had heard their concerns. The Cardinal expressed hope that people close to the President would encourage him to reflect further on the bishops’ concerns. “We warned that the country doesn’t gain anything by a one-party state in a so-called democracy,” Cardinal Onaiyekan said. Onaiyekan Questions INEC’s independenceResponding to President Tinubu’s defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Cardinal Onaiyekan questioned whether the electoral body can be perceived as fully independent under Nigeria’s current appointment system. The Cardinal expressed hope that the Bishops’ intervention would eventually contribute to changes in Nigeria’s political, economic and security landscape.