OKOTIE: GRAMMAR IS HIS SECOND NAME

A journalists recently said that the organisers of the presidential debate series took away the fun that would have attended the programme by excluding Rev Chris Okotie, pastor of the Household of God Church International. She said that the pastor would have dazzled everybody with grammar. This conclusion is not unfounded. Okotie likes to use vocabularies and he makes a show of it.

Born to Francis and Cecilia Okotie of Delta State on June 16, 1957, Okotie, the presidential candidate of Fresh Democratic party (FDP) has been in the news for long time. While in the university, he was a music star. His album, I Need Someone was a chart buster, at that time, that his name became a household one. He was to become a pastor after what he termed an encounter with the Saviour Jesus Christ.

The pastor cum politician attended Edo College, Benin City. He read Law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and graduated in 1984. However, he abandoned school for a while to pursue a highly successful pop music career before returning to complete his university education. At the Law School, he interrupted his education, again, to begin his religious ministries. To equip himself in his chosen vocation, he attended Grace Fellowship Bible School and soon after, established The Household of God Ministry.

Okotie has a background in Martial Art, Athletics and several other sports. He is a polyglot, who has an extremely high command of the English language, basic working knowledge of Latin, Greek , Hebrew and a good command of local dialects including Igbo and Urhobo dialects, among others. He was married to his first wife, Tina, who left him. He re-married and wedded Stephanie Henshaw.

Rev Okotie came into politics in 2003 when he sought the presidential ticket of Nigerian Democratic Party (NDP) and lost. He was so disappointed with his apparent rejection at the presidential primaries that he dumped the party for Justice Party, on which platform he contested the presidential election. He was to the Fresh Democratic Party on whose platform he contested the presidential election in 2007.

Okotie said that God had promised him that he would be the president of Nigeria and therefore, he would keep contesting the presidential election until this comes to pass.