•To Make PETER OBI Win Votes Across NIGERIA
It will take a while before all of the dust raised by the just concluded presidential election will fade away from our memories. A winner has emerged, but the losers are still bitter. The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended a hand of friendship to the other contestants who lost at the election, but it remains to be seen if that reconciliation move will yield dividends.
One of the contenders whose performance surprised many at the just concluded polls was the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi. He came third behind Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the winner and Atiku Abubakar, who emerged second. Not many expected he would give the two big political parties with wide spread structures such a close contest. His biggest support, according to political analysts, came from his Igbo kinsmen who voted massively for him across the country and he got incredible votes from the Christian communities across the nation as well. This explains why he was able to attract thousands of votes in places where many didn’t think he had a chance like Plateau, Benue, Nassarawa, etc. In fact, these three aforementioned states, he actually won all three of them.
It must be said that Peter Obi has been accused of having played the religious card effectively and used it to good advantage. He had a clear idea of how he wanted to get to Aso Rock. This explains why he made several appearances in churches he never stepped foot before. According to a political pundit, Peter Obi masde it clear he was not going to waste his time appealling for votes from everyone. He dissipated his energy and resources talking more to only his kionsmen and the christian communities. He attended nearly every Xmas Praise concert organised by Christian organisations in some parts of the country during December last year. He did not speak or campaign in any form at these concerts, but his presence alone, each time his name was called for recognition often sent the youths in delirium.
With his visits to churches,he was also able to strike some form of alliance with the pastor/founder of these churches and often never left without making some ‘silent donations’ to support the church. And of course, as would be expected, the congregation was always excited to see him in flesh right inside their church auditorium. Many of these pastors whose churches he visited took it upon themselves to sell him to their members. They made it clear to their followers where they were headed as far as the presidential election was concerned and who they should vote for and expected their flock to follow suit. The following are the top 5 pastors who supported Peter Obi’s presidential ambition.
APOSTLE JOHNSON SULEMAN
The ever controversial and flamboyant pastor and founder of Omega Fire Ministries(OMF) Apostle Johnson Suleman on Sunday 19, 2023 declared that he and his family would be casting their votes for the standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi.
Suleman, during his Sunday sermon, shared on the church’s YouTube page, announced that his household is ‘Obidient’. He explained unlike other people who’ve been making noise about their preferred presidential candidate on social media, his church has been working behind the scene in support of Obi. He didn’t say specifically in what way or form he has been working behind the scene for Peter Obi, but many believe he has also been helping the Labour Party standard bearer to persuade his colleagues in the vineyard to throw their weight behind Obi and persuade their entire church members to do same.
PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME
Lead Pastor of the Believers Love World aka Christ Embassy, Chris Oyakhilome, is also one of the top pastors who, either directly or subtly, persuaded their congregation to support the presidential ambition of the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi. Although presently based in South Africa, the charismatic man of God has been very well in tune with happenings in Nigeria. Expectedly, he has also been very interested in the political situation in the country, particularly as regards the just concluded presidential election. Although, unlike Apostle Johnson Sulemas, he has been very careful not to mention any name. But, days leading to the election, Pastor Chris dropped a clue for the members of the megachurch to vote for Obi.. In a viral video, the pastor narrated to his members what was revealed to him by God concerning three presidential candidates
Although no name was mentioned, Pastor Chris gave his members a clue about the third candidate’ saying “his name is in the Bible”. Expectedly, the church erupted into loud cheers in acknowledgement of the declaration made by their pastor as everyone immediately knew he was talking about Peter Obi.
PROPHET CHUKWUEMEKA DUMEJE
Prophet Odumeje as he is popularly known is the General Overseer of Mountain of Holy Ghost Interventionn. He is a fiery man of God who can be brutally frank with his preachings or when taking a position on issues. He loves to bring contemporary issues to the pulpit and engage his congregation. In a post last year, the pastor revealed his undeniable support for the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi.
Hear him: “Whatever Lagos State is today is as a result of the investment of Igbo people living and doing business there. Igbos do not hate anybody, If they do, they won’t be going to other states outside Igboland to live with their families, invest their money and develop there. Igbos are known to bring life even to deserts. The truth is Atiku and Tinubu do not have any plans for Nigeria, Peter Obi is the only one that can bring this dead country back to life; For a better future for our children, let’s support him” — Prophet Odumeje.
PASTOR PAUL ENENCHE
The founder and General Overseer of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Pastor Paul Enenche has been the most vocal of the lot. From day one, he has been behind Peter Obi. He gets very emotional when speaking about Obi on the pulpit. He clearly loves the man to bits and genuinely believes he would have made a fantastic presidennt if he had won ther election. It is said that he took the Labour Party candidate to meet Bisjhop Oyedepo before he now made a stunning appeareance at Shiloh. The last Sunday service before the presidential election, he asked Nigerians to support Obi, claiming he is the only credible candidate among the three major Presidential aspirants. The cleric disclosed this during his Sunday sermon at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja.
At first, the Pastor refused to mention the name of this candidate, he stated that the candidate is already well-known by everyone. But by the following day after the electionm had taken place and it was starting to look like the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu might be the eventual winner, he began to rant and rave on the pulpit during service, warning that INEC must not tamper with the results of the elections. He has gone on to even make more inciting comments after Tinubu had been declared winner, saying that the election results were tampered with by INEC and that the government might incur the wrath of the youths. Some members of the APC have called on the DSS to call him to order as he appears to be making inflamatory statements that could trigger an uprising in the country.
BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO
President of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo too has been subtly in support of the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi. He was said to been introduced to Obi by Dunamis Pastor Enenche. Peter Obi made a stunning appearance at Shiloh 22 where Bishop Oyedepo did what seemed clearly like an endorsement of Obi.
The cleric reportedly said that Nigeria needs a deliverer and not a leader to rescue the country in the 2023 election He was also reported to have said that the number of votes the APC would get at the just concluded election will determine the number of MAD people in Nigeria because he believed that only a mad person wi;l still go on to vote for the APC.
– WALE LAWAL
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