For the Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, as any other Christian, 31st December, 2022 was a day to thank God for all the good things, health, protection and numerous other blessings showered on him in the outgone year. And he chose the Livingspring Dominion Chapel, Aduloju area in Ibadan to do the Thanksgiving.
His office and status in the state made him a Special guest if not a Guest of honour who was obviously a cynosure at the service. Church members who had never met him in person before, except seeing him on Television social media platforms and on pages of newspapers and magazines were pulled to him by an unusual curiousity to take a closer look at the man who governs Oyo State,
Pastor Femi Emmanuel, who is the Pastor in-charge of the Livingspring Church, told the congregation that Governor Makinde on different occasions, intermittently worships at Livingspring Church despite the fact that Anglican Cathedral, Aremo in Ibadan was his church. Pastor Emmanuel disclosed that Makinde’s father attended the Cathedral at Aremo in his life time time. The church also held funeral service for his mother.
The Pastor remarked that Makinde’s attendance of the end of the year-cum-New Year service at a time preparation for the General elections was fast approaching behoved the church to pray for him.
This, according to Pastor Emmanuel, is necessary because the governor was running for a second term. He needed all assistances, material and spiritual, to coast home to victory in the election. Pastor Emmanuel without wasting time called on the congregation to join him in praying for Makinde’s success in the governorship election.
The icing on the prayers’ cake was the anointment of Makinde for a second term. The Pastor disclosed that he had known Makinde long before he became Governor. This, it was believed has nothing to do with Politics and politicking. He said that Makinde was a friend, who is not a regular attendee of the Livingspring Church Services as he Makinde also has many other men of God as friends.
At this point, it is, however, significant to recall that Pastor Femi Emmanuel was a politician before he was called by God. Emmanuel contested the Ibadan North Constituency seat in the Oyo State House of Assembly and won on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Femi Emmanuel, who is said to be an Edo State man, rose on the rungs of political ladder in Oyo State when he became the Deputy Speaker of the House. Observers remarked that Emmanuel was one of the beneficiaries of the crisis that befell Niyi Akintola, a Lawyer in the House that saw him kidnapped within the premises of the Oyo State House of Assembly and taken to the strong man of Ibadan politics, the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu’s house at Molete.
Despite that Makinde was said not to be a reguglar attendee of the Livingspring Church, Dominion Chapel Service at Aduloju area of Ibadan, his presence on the 31st December, 2022 was said not to be unconnected with his making of efforts to win the governorship election that held on March 18, 2023. As the general elections were imminent at the end of last year, politicians, especially, candidates for different offices went all out to seek people’s support, while men of God, Christianity, Islam and even traditional religion adherents were approached for spiritual assistance to enable the candidates realise their aspirations.
Governor Makinde as a Christian attended the end/new year service at the Dominion Chapel of the Livingspring Church, Aduloju area in Ibadan to seek God’s eyes, guardian, blessing and support to win at the polls. He was anointed by the Pastor himself, Femi Emmanuel, and Makinde won. That was why he went back to the Dominion Chapel, Aduloju in Ibadan last Sunday for thanksgiving. The Pastor, Femi Emmanuel, remarked during the service that the governor on the 31st December, 2022, came to God in the church to seek God’s support and assistance for his second term bid and God, in His infinite mercy, granted the governor’s wishes and request Makinde was right to come back for thanksgiving.
– Tajudeen Adigun 08039180360
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