By Damola Emmanuel
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Sunday, cast a big doubt on the plausibility of the 2023 general elections holding, declaring that God had not said anything to him about it.
Adeboye who spoke at his church’s April thanksgiving service, declared categorically that he was not sure if there would be any election next year.
“As we speak, I am not sure yet if there will be an election in Nigeria,” he said. “I said yet – because the Lord has not told me about it.”
The world-renowned pastor’s scary declaration was a direct response to the pervasive insecurity in Nigeria, the unrelenting attacks on innocent citizens resulting in severe loss of lives, limbs and property, as well as last Monday’s deadly terrorist attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train service, resulting in many deaths, with many missing.
“You cannot travel by road, you might be kidnapped and attacked,” Adeboye declared in exasperation. “You cannot travel by train, you can be attacked. Nowhere is safe.
“Today, it is Kaduna, who knows where next?
“So, I laugh when people start talking about 2023 elections because even me, I don’t know yet if there’ll be an election.
“During the last (2019) election, I knew there will be an election in August (2018) the previous year because he (God) has told me about it.
“It is not too late for him (God) to say something (about 2023) but for now, he has not said anything about it.”
Pastor Adeboye rubbished insinuations in certain quarters that he was sympathetic to a political party.
“I have said it before, and I will say it again, I am not and will never be a politician,” the RCCG General Overseer declared. “I am a pastor. That is what God has called me to be.
“Please do not distract me. My assignment is to be a pastor; to pray for you, to pray for nations including Nigeria.”
Recently, the RCCG created a Directorate of Politics and Governance in the church. This fueled the notion, especially among political analysts that the church may be positioning itself to be politically active in the 2023 general elections.
The rumour waxed stronger by the day with the purported ambition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, an RCCG pastor, to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. And that the recently created Directorate of Politics and Governance was an instrument for mobilization of support for the Vee Pee’s ambition.
But while speaking on the state of the nation on Sunday, Pastor Adeboye, said that as a Father of the church, it would be unfair on other members of the RCCG, who are members of different political parties, for him to be partisan.
“In the Redeemed Christian Church of God, every political party is heavily represented; APC, PDP, APGA, Labour and other parties you don’t even know their name,” he said.
“I have never told you which party to vote for whether in secret or in the open.
“So, it will be unjust to tell you to support one party over another.”