The recent decision by the Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye-led Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), to establish an office of Politics and Governance ahead of the 2023 general elections to coordinate and support its church members eyeing political offices has been generating diverse reactions from Nigerians, especially political observers and stakeholders.
Some even viewed the move as Adeboye’s ‘solomonic’ way of preparing grounds for the emergence of fellow pastor and the present Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN as the man to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari.
As a follow up, The Director, National Directorate of Politics and Governance of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Pastor Femi Emmanuel, also backed the move by Adeboye’s RCCG.
Almost immediately, a popular columnist and one of the most visible presidential aspirants from the stable of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Aare Dele Momodu took to his pages online and offline to attack the move by the leadership of RCCG.
Over the weekend too, the president of the Trade Union Congress, Quadri Olaleye also called on workers in the country to fully participate in the 2023 general elections.
Olaleye, who spoke at a conference organised by the Congress with the theme: ‘Political Roundtable on Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria,’ said Nigerian workers have resolved to “stop being onlookers while politicians continue to destroy Nigeria’s economy”.
Olaleye was also reported to have said that it had “become unsafe to consistently allow politicians to make decisions on issues affecting the socio-economic wellbeing of workers and by extension the Nigerian masses.”
At this point, it may be pertinent and instructive to urgently invite the leadership of all bodies under the Islamic religion to equally make their positions known on the issue of how to prepare for the fast-approaching 2023 general elections.
Nigerians have not had it easy since 1999 as the economy has continued to experience a down-turn. If, realistically speaking, the Peoples Democratic Party were at the helms of affairs for 16 rather poorly eventful years and their colleagues from the other side, the All Progressives Congress have been trying to wade through the murky waters of socio-economic crisis in the land without achieving much success, then, there is really trouble ahead for the country.
The question then, on the minds of Nigerians is ‘Where do we now turn to in 2023?’
The intervention of the churches, the TUC and others may actually give some kind of hope for the people if they are all truly focused on salvaging what is left of the country.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
