Politics

2023: Osinbajo divides RCCG, pastor seeks sacking of VP campaigner

Published

3 years ago

May 4, 2022

Yemi Osinbajo

A youth pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Dr Oche Otorkpa, has called on the leadership of the church to sack the Head of Politics and Governance, Pastor Timothy Olaniyan, who campaigned for the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), ahead of the 2023 elections.

It will be recalled that Olaniyan openly declared support for Osinbajo at a public event over the weekend.

He said Osinbajo, as a pastor with the RCCG, will fulfil his electoral promise.

But reacting to the comment bu Olaniyan, Otorkpa demanded for his sack.

He said in the statement: “I was saddened when my attention was drawn to the statement credited to the Head of Politics and Governance of the Redeemed Christian Church, RCCG, ‘Pastor’ Timothy Olaniyan. This act reminds me of the tragedy promoted by many of my colleagues in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who used the RCCG altar to promote Buhari as the only savior of Nigeria because Osinbajo also a Redeemed Pastor, was his running mate.

“Against all admonition by our father the General Overseer, these pastors choose to ignore an express order and promoted Buhari/Osinbajo using the RCCG pulpit in 2015 and the results are what we see today.

“While I have nothing personal against Osinbajo and those campaigning for him, our father, the General Overseer has made it clear to everyone that the church is a congregation of all parties and all are his children.

READ ALSO:

“If truly the said ‘Pastor’ Timothy Olaniyan voiced such a one-sided opinion, then he should be ashamed of himself, and the many people who insulted Leke (Adeboye, the son of the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye) for calling such people goats should apologize to him because this man’s action has not only ridiculed the mission but also the reputation of our father in the Lord.

“As one of those who fiercely defended the RCCG when concerned Nigerians labeled the newly created Politics and Governance directorate as an Osinbajo campaign arm of the church, I felt I owe it a duty as an ordained minister and someone who has spent close to 3 decades working to help achieve the church’s missionary objectives, to speak out.

“How can a Redeemed Pastor, saddled with the responsibility of promoting all, insist on a public forum that one person is the only child of God that could change the narrative of governance in Nigeria?

“This is someone who says he wants to consolidate Buhari’s legacies, a legacy characterized by banditry, kidnappings, massive killings, corruption, stealing and diversion of crude oil, unfulfilled promises, and borrowings that are about to throw us into a state of bankruptcy as a nation.

“Pastor Olaniyan claimed that politicians will promise heaven and earth, and at the end of the day, you see them giving N1000, N2000 to eligible voters. That was similar to what Osibanjo did the last time with Trader money prior to the elections, jumping from one market to the other.

“When it comes to failed promises, nobody beats Osinbajo and Buhari. They promised three million jobs per year, it is almost 8 years, and those who have jobs before they came to power are now jobless.

“Osinbajo and Buhari promised 20,000 MW of electricity within four years, but today, grid collapse and darkness are what Nigerians are battling.

“When Osinbajo and Buhari came to power on the 29th of May 2015, the naira was exchanged at N199 to the dollar. Today, the naira is exchanging at almost N600 when they promised to make it equal to the dollar.

“As I write this response, our youths and children are at home due to the ongoing ASUU strike, Osinbajo and Buhari had promised to give up to 20 percent of the national budget for the educational sector, they have never exceeded 6% since they took power. Even the foreign scholarship created by Jonathan for First Class students has been canceled by them.

READ ALSO:

“They promised to clean our electoral system but ended up creating devilish inventions such as the inconclusive elections and the ‘remote control’ in the words of Buhari which they used on the people of Osun state to deny Adeleke his last mandate and Nigerians in the last general elections.

“They promised to reduce the fuel pump price to N40 per liter, this year, the price ranges from 165 to infinity depending on where you are buying. Even diesel that was very available has now disappeared, thanks to the change championed by some of our Pastors.

“Proverbs 12:22 says the LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. When a pastor begins to brand deceptive people as the only ones being capable of changing the narrative of governance in the country, then you know there is a problem.

“While Pastor Olaniyan has the constitutional right to hold a political opinion, he clearly does not understand the sensitive nature of the office he occupies and the diversity of the interest and the people he is meant to manage.

“We therefore humbly call on the church leadership as a matter of urgency to remove ‘Pastor’ Timothy Olaniyan as the Head of Politics and Governance, to enable the unit to discharge its mandate without shamefully taking sides and dancing naked in the market square.

“May God Help Us to Help Ourselves.”

Related Topics:campaigned Colleague Featured Osinbajo pastor RCCG sack

Up Next

Presidency: Fayemi declares, promises to help fulfil Nigeria’s unfinished greatness (plus full speech)

Don't Miss

2023: Southwest leaders to meet Tinubu, Osinbajo, others Friday

Politics

Tinubu smashes opposition, four more PDP govs set to decamp

Published

13 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu smashes opposition, four more PDP govs set to decamp

President Bola Tinubu’s determined push to weaken opposition ranks appears to be yielding results, with strong indications that four Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors are set to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fresh investigation has revealed that Tinubu, long on the defensive against opposition attacks, has intensified efforts to consolidate power by targeting key figures in rival parties. His moves, insiders said, triggered the current wave of high-profile defections.

While sources within the APC and the Presidency attributed the looming defections to Tinubu’s aggressive political strategy, some opposition figures have accused the President of using inducements and blackmail to lure defectors. The president’s allies, on the other hand, have argued that his leadership style has made the APC increasingly attractive.

Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Abba Yusuf (Kano), and suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara have been named as the next big catches for the ruling party.

“It is not a rumour. It is happening; those four governors – Eno, Mbah, Yusuf and Fubara — are on their way to joining the APC,” a senior party source confirmed.

READ ALSO:

Officials at the APC national secretariat in Abuja also corroborated the development, pointing to an aggressive recruitment drive spearheaded by the President and top party leaders.

The anticipated defections come on the heels of last Wednesday’s surprise defection by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire PDP structure in the state to the APC. Their move was announced by Senator James Manager after a six-hour meeting at the Government House in Asaba.

Meanwhile, concerns have emerged over the tactics allegedly employed to secure these defections. A senior source cited the alleged Tinubu’s secret meeting with Fubara in London as a possible example of backroom pressure. The meeting reportedly took place at Fubara’s request following his suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

A source familiar with the situation said, “It was at that meeting that we believed Fubara must have been coaxed into considering the idea of defection as part of the arrangement to return his mandate. We also have reasons to suspect that Governor Eno’s potential move to the APC is linked to his predecessor and godfather’s alleged corruption case with the EFCC.”

Regarding Kano, the source stated that Tinubu had intensified reconciliation efforts between former Governors Abdullahi Ganduje and Rabiu Kwankwaso to pave the way for Yusuf’s defection.

“In the coming days, the news of Abba Yusuf’s defection will be made public because he will officially move to the APC with his mentor. We all know Kano is too big a state for Tinubu to ignore politically,” he added.

Tinubu smashes opposition, four more PDP govs set to decamp

Politics

Obi introduces online registration, ID cards for Obidient

Published

13 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Trends Admin

Peter Obi

Obi introduces online registration, ID cards for Obidient

Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has launched an online registration portal and identity cards for members of the Obidient Movement both within Nigeria and among supporters in the diaspora.

The development was announced in a joint statement on Saturday by the National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, and the Director of Strategic Communications and Media, Nana Kazaure.

According to the statement, the new identity cards will feature a QR code for easy authentication and display the national flag of each holder’s country of residence.

It stated in part: “Obidient registration portal supports Nigerians and fellow Obidients living in the diaspora. You will observe that the ID has a flag on it. For example, if you’re not resident in Nigeria, the top right-hand corner will carry the flag of your country of residence.”

READ ALSO:

Highlighting the movement’s emphasis on unity and diversity, the statement added: “That way, we can all witness first-hand the embodying of our spirit of diversity, comradery, and unity and how far-reaching the messaging Obidient Movement is. The OBX is constant on the ID card. The Diasporan and Nigerian cards, all start with the same prefix which is the OBX.”

The statement further explained the functionality of the QR code embedded in the card: “The QR code on the bottom right-hand corner is there to authenticate your card, which can be scanned with any QR scanner such as a smartphone, to give Obidients a secure and confident way of interacting with one another.”

It continued: “So if you choose to support or do business with an Obidient, you can scan the QR code or verify the OBX ID online to confirm that the person is who and what they truly say they are and are who they truly claim to be.”

Obi introduces online registration, ID cards for Obidient

Politics

Tinubu won’t get second term if El-Rufai can mobilise northerners for Obi – Dahiru

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2025

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu won’t get second term if El-Rufai can mobilise northerners for Obi – Dahiru

Political analyst and columnist Majeed Dahiru has said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration may end in 2027.

This, he said, was dependent on how former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai successfully rallies northern political forces behind Labour Party’s Peter Obi.

Dahiru spoke during an appearance on The Morning Brief of the Channels Television, discussing recent opposition alignments and El-Rufai’s strategic relevance ahead of the next general election.

“If I may put it straight. The day El-Rufai decides and can galvanise the opinion moulders in the North to zero in on Peter Obi, for instance, as the candidate, that will be the end of the Tinubu administration,” Dahiru stated.

This came amid ongoing conversations about potential coalitions to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The situation took a new turn on Wednesday when Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside several PDP officials, defected to the APC.

Dahiru noted the reported resistance from PDP governors to opposition coalition efforts, attributing it to regional loyalty.

“That’s because the PDP governors’ preferred candidate for the next election is President Bola Tinubu of the APC — because of southern solidarity. The bulk of the PDP governors are from the South. One of their own is in power. They can’t work against one of their own. It’s not possible.”

He cited historical examples to underscore the role of regional interests in Nigerian politics.

“In 2003, the AD (Alliance for Democracy) didn’t field a presidential candidate because of Obasanjo. That is the nature of Nigerian politics.

READ ALSO:

“When Yar’Adua became president in 2007, a number of ANPP (All Nigeria Peoples Party) governors moved to the PDP. Two governors even married his daughters to gain a footing in the PDP. It has always been like that.”

Dahiru also addressed El-Rufai’s recent departure from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), attributing it to deeper tensions with the presidency.

“El-Rufai has a grouse against the president — a legitimate grouse — because he worked for the president. Hate him or love him, he has a basis to be angry,” he said.

“He has been working assiduously to undermine the president, particularly in the Muslim North, where he is like the caliph to Buhari. He’s the brainbox of the Muslim North.”

He hinted at a broader political strategy by El-Rufai, possibly involving an endorsement of a candidate from the South, especially the Southeast.

“Let me give him a tip: if he really wants to sit at the back of the president, what he should do — and I think they may already be on that path — is convince the Muslim North to look towards the South for a candidate. Specifically, the Southeast.

“If he’s able to do that — and I know he can; he has the capacity — to shift support to someone like Peter Obi, then that will be the end of the Tinubu administration.”