Wednesday, 4 February 2015

Don’t Sleep Until February 15th 2015!

It’s a season of heightened emotions in Nigeria, both as a result of Valentine’s Day and the 2015 Presidential Elections. The purpose of this post is to address the latter. 14 parties are contesting in the Presidential Elections. Over the past weeks, we have seen various moves and tactics by the various parties to undermine the stances of their opponents either by attacking policies or individual candidates. However, the fallout from what was previously perceived by many neutrals as an excellent political move by the APC happened. APC's adoption of a senior pastor in RCCG as its Vice-Presidential candidate is fast becoming a glaring sign of desperation on the part of APC to rule Nigeria at all costs. Pastor E. A Adeboye is the most loved clergyman in Nigeria, (a feat he attributes to God). The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a mission with the largest members in Nigeria and a teeming presence on Twitter (@rccgworldwide and @rccghq). Picking a Senior Pastor from RCCG is a brilliant move. But the church via its Twitter pages and the official Facebook page of Pastor E.A Adeboye has stated clearly that it remains a mission and not a political body, and as such, does not endorse any individual or party for any election in Nigeria or elsewhere. Having clearly stated this, it beats my imagination that some people claiming to be senior Pastors in RCCG have been going around northern states in Nigeria (Niger State and Sokoto State), meeting with some pastors in secondary schools with false information purportedly from the General Overseer of RCCG to tell all pastors to embrace change; the one from APC. The umbrella body of Christians in Nigeria which are CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) and PFN (Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria) and the Provincial Pastors of RCCG in these regions have said that this information has not gotten to them yet. There is an appropriate channel through which such information would be passed across and not through hush meetings and gatherings in secondary school compounds and living rooms. Having seen that Pastor E. A Adeboye and RCCG will not be dragged into political waters, and the church's leaders have resolved to stand firmly neutral while encouraging its members to exercise their civic rights and be responsible citizens by voting. This makes me wonder; Is APC getting desperate? I know that whoever is going around spreading messages that Pastor E. A Adeboye wants people to embrace APC is a fraud. Such a person is not a pastor from RCCG, let alone a senior one. Such a person can only be a mole planted by unscrupulous people to cause unnecessary tension in the nation. Such persons do not represent Pastor E. A Adeboye or RCCG. The only change Daddy G.O will ask anyone to embrace is not one from any political party, but the one brought about by accepting the life of JESUS CHRIST and LIVING HOLY. Let no one be deceived. It is your right to vote for whoever you choose. Be responsible, go get your Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) and vote! Don’t be caught sleeping, because while you sleep, some people are planning things. Stay awake and watch your side!