Of “Thus Saith The Lord” Clerics And Politicians: An Unholy Alliance

There is no denying the fact that the beef that recently transpired between Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu and Mr. Peter Obi, Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate for the 2023 election in Nigeria, and which resulted to Obi been derogatorily labelled a “stingy man” by the clergy has kept tongues wagging, particularly as plethora of questions are at the moment begging for answers.

Some of the questions are: “Do clerics have a moral or biblical obligation to praise or dispraise a political aspirant before his congregants”, and to a large extent before the public? “Is there a distinctively sermonic approach a cleric should adopt to get himself engage in the political process?” “Do clerics have a duty to canvass for a political aspirant in a partisan manner, and if so, what principles should inform them as they exercise their freedom of speech within the context of their rights to democracy as everyone has the rights to take part in the government of his country?”

At this juncture, it is expedient to say that the foregoing questions are not farfetched when attempts are made to respond to the question as follows: “Should clerics talk about political issues from the pulpit?” If so, “When should they do so and on what issues?”

While tackling the foregoing questions, it is expedient to have it at the back of our minds that while many clerics are criticized for never talking about any political issue from the pulpits, with some saying that's not their gift, others are being criticized for turning the pulpits to soapboxes, and for talking too much in favour or against political aspirants.

There is no denying the fact that by each passing electoraldispensation, especially ahead of a presidential election year in Nigeria, that not few clerics lend their supports to the aspirants of their choice. Against the foregoing backdrop, some of their critics are wont to allege that the weight of “Ghana-Must-Go” bags they receive as gifts from aspirants go a long way in determining who to support and the level of support.

More often than not, their support transcends endorsing aspirants as not few of them resort to making prophecies that are sanctimoniously boosted with the scripturallyphrase “Thus Saith The Lord” that usually end up being fake prophecies.

In most cases, whenever they sermonize biblical messages in support of their preferred aspirants, they are seen to be exceptionally eulogizing such candidate or undeservingly condemning the opponent of concerned candidates.

For instance, Nigerians will not easily forget in a hurry when Tunde Bakare, Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, now the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos, took the nation by storm when he prophesied that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo would not be sworn in as president in 1999. The pastor said he saw the crown hovered around the President’s head a couple of times, moved closely as if to settle down, and just as Nigerians clapped and cheered, the crown flew off. He said the second crown came along and that this time, it was the crown of death and declared to the consternation of the nation that the crown seemed to settle on the President’s head squarely, meaning, Obasanjo would die. As hoaxed as the prediction was, Obasanjo did not only become president, he ruled for eight years and he is still alivetoday; even as he was hailed by not few of his admirers in March this year for participating in a novelty match played at the 5-Aside football pitch of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital to mark his 85th birthday.

In fact, there has never been any political dispensation that clerics in Nigeria had not being heard making prophecies about the chances of political aspirants in an expected election. But alas! Most times, the predictions, usually conveyed with the phrase, “Thus Saith The Lord”, usually end up to be fake as they were allegedly concocted ostensibly to collect monies from desperate politicians.

It will be recalled in this context that the 2019 Presidential election received several unsolicited prophecies which particularly targeted President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Alhaji AtikuAbubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Though the predictions appeared bloodcurdling and preposterous, they later turned out to be wide of the mark.

It can also be recalled in this context that one of the self-styled prophets, a Nigerian pastor based in South Africa, Samuel Akinbodunse in a video circulated at the time, and with over-measured candour of faith and undiluted confidence, spoke to the congregation inside the spaciousFreedom For All Nations Outreach church, and declared to the euphoric congregation, “Please Nigerians warn Buharithat he is going beyond his boundary. That the Lord said his tenure is once and not twice. If not, he will not see the election o. If you know him and how to email the Presidency of Nigeria, please write (send) him a text (message). If he made (makes) a mistake to campaign for elections, before they vote, he will die.”

At this point, panic gripped some of the congregation, who were already standing, but clapped several times for the cleric’s incriminatory spiritual extrapolation that literarily dropped into the expansive auditorium.

He went on with his prophecy that seemed hard to believe by not a few members of his church. He prophesied, “And I am saying the truth, I am saying the truth. Tell him the same voice that spoke when people said Jonathan would be the President of Nigeria, the same voice is speaking to him that he must not make that mistake. Let him eat whatever he wants to eat inside (the) sugar that he is noweating and leave the sugar jejely. If not, he will die. That is just the message. I am not afraid of…Any man who kill (sic) me today him help me because eternity is waiting for me already. If you kill me today, many Samuels will rise tomorrow. What is the essence of killing me because there are many Samuels that will rise?”

Surprisingly, when analysed from a logical perspective, the cleric’s prophecy was common-sensically inaccurate as the Presidential and National Assembly elections at that time were not only shifted from February 16 to February 23 by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Buhari also participated in electioneering with his party, and INEC later declared him winner of the election.

At this conclusive juncture, permit me to say that it is deceitful for clerics to be embellishing concocted prophecies, as alleged by Public Opinion, with the scriptural phrase, “Thus saith the lord”, and worse still entering into unholy alliance with pastors.