Mideno Bayagbon
(mideno@thenewsguru.ng)
I don’t know how many people read the column by Dele Momodu, last week, which he titled: Establishment of political arm by RCCG ‘an invitation to Armageddon’. In it, he took a low quality rumour, garnished it with pompous and unbelievable self righteous anger in an ill-digested admonition of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and its revered General Overseer, the humble, unassuming and well regarded Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
The Ovation magazine publisher, and now PDP presidential aspirant, like most of us were shocked last week when an official memo of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was leaked online. In it the church directed all its Nigerian affiliate branches to set up a unit which will encourage its members to stop sitting on the fence and get involved in the political activities of the country. By that it created a Directorate for Politics and Governance ahead of the 2023 general elections. While most people were still trying to understand why the church took this potentially controversial decision, a new dimension was introduced.
One Femi Emmanuel, who is Director of National Directorate of Politics and Governance, PFN, issued a statement in which he admonished that: “let no one read any negative or ulterior motives to the memo from the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). This is an answered prayer for us in DPG. This is what we have been asking our General Overseers (GOs) to do since. Many more will do so soon as we are in consultation with them.”
By this, it became clear that the RCCG memo is in obedience to the directives by the Pentecostal Fellowship of NIgeria (PFN). Curious as this directive might appear, it nonetheless showcases the depth of governmental failure, at all levels. It reflects how deep the nation has sunk. It advertises the frustration of Nigerians over the incompetent, self-centred, corrupt political leadership. Most Nigerians agree: leadership rascality and impunity threaten the very foundation of the nation’s existence.
Dele Momodu, a celebrity reporter turned politician, perhaps without thinking through his reactions thoroughly, in a strongly worded treatise warned the church to immediately revise its decision as it could trigger political upheavals of uncommon proportions. He didn’t stop there. His anger seems to have been triggered by what he called a rumour to the effect that the RCCG wants to use this directorate to enthrone Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as president in the 2023 elections. He says that is a dangerous trend which will not augur well for the amity of the nation. He fears that it could lead to religious and political implosion with devastating effect on the unity of the country. He says that is a sure way to political Armageddon for NIgeria.
According to him: “As soon as I read the memo establishing a political arm of our church, I realised this was nothing but an invitation to Armageddon….I asked for what the motive(s) could have been, and the general conspiracy theory was that our church was setting up an extensive network for the obvious Presidential ambition of the current Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, although couched in terms which ostensibly suggested that the church wished to support all of its congregation who wished to contest the next general elections and made their aspirations known to the newly formed Church department. Personally the theory didn’t jell with me. To the best of my knowledge, Professor Osinbajo is not the only member of the church contesting the Presidential election.”
Most people who have reacted to or discussed this rumoured conspiracy theory, could not see the immediate link between Professor Osinbajo, who is yet to officially indicate interest in the race, and the establishment of this arm of the church. This is more so since it is political parties which choose their candidates, through primaries or consensus. Legally and constitutionally, no church or mosque can compel any party to adopt their chosen member as the candidate of the party in any given election.
While I hold no brief for the RCCG or its General Overseer, or Professor Osinbajo, there are so many obvious fallacies peddled in the Momodu article. First, a special directorate was created to support the Presidential ambition of the Vice President. Really? The RCCG or its leader, Pastor Adeboye, will sacrifice its reputation, its assigned duties to win and keep souls for Jesus Christ, on the altar of a single man’s political ambition?
Assuming without conceding that it is even true the Church wants to support the ambition of the Vice President, how will a late hour directorate as this, help him, first to become the candidate of the APC and then win the Presidential elections in less than one year from now? What political magic wand does the Church have to bring this to pass?
Let’s stretch this further. Does the church or its members have voting rights at, either the PDP and APC or any of the other mushroom parties’ primaries? Or since Yemi Osinbajo is in office, courtesy of the All Progressive Congress, does that translate to mean that the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has subsumed itself as an affiliate of the APC and has become so powerful therein that it can determine who the party chooses as its flag bearer for the Presidential elections next year?
What is the guarantee that Professor Osinbajo, should he eventually join the race, can trounce the political heavyweights who have indicated interest in his party to run for the office? Everyone knows how extensive and politically sagacious a Bola Tinubu, a Rotimi Amaechi or even a Kayode Fayemi can be. What will compel a Pastor Adeboye to sacrifice the hard won reputation of the church on the treacherous cesspit of APC politics?
How possible is it for Pastor Adeboye to give directives that all members must vote for Professor Osinbajo without incurring the wrath of members who are members of other political parties? Would he pointedly come out to support an aspirant who is just one among his “many children” who are interested in vying for the Presidency of NIgeria? The Adeboye the world knows and respect will never do a thing like that.
That is why I am still trying to understand Momodu’s motives, why he wrote the article without exercising the expected rigours of the profession that made him. Why did he run with a rumour that, even on the face of it, lacks merit, looks suspect and could only have emanated from some drunken beer parlour mill? Why was he in a hurry to demonise the RCCG, Pastor Adeboye and Professor Osinbajo? What was this “cry wolf” warning targeted at? He is not known for blackmail. Could it then be envy? Or self promotion? Is this a well thought out move to help frustrate the rumoured ambition of the Vice President? Now I sound like an Osinbajo apologist! One expects Momodu to know better.
By his own admission, he is a “sometimes member” of the RCCG. He says he is well connected to the Adeboye family and top shots of the church. Why then did he not reach out and get the right perspectives to this church directive before rushing to his audience with the holier-than-thou cry of Armageddon, Armageddon?
If Momodu had restricted himself to highlighting merits and demerits of the move by the RCCG, hence PFN, to setting up the political directorate and its possible implications, one would understand. For indeed it is curious. Under normal circumstances the church should have no business having a political unit. But then, this is Nigeria where those who rig elections, watering their “victory” by shedding the blood of innocent Nigerians, come to church or mosque thereafter to give thanks to God!
The two major religions in the country, Christianity and Islam, must rise up and be counted. It is their members who are drowning the nation and pushing it to the precipice of disintegration and economic doom.
