It has been well over three weeks now that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his deputy, Vice President Kassim Shettima, were both sworn into office. And their government has since hit the ground running. The president has been quite busy in the past weeks, suspending erring top government officials and signing into law policies that have made the government much more popular.
But there is still a group of Nigerians who do not agree that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has earned their admiration and respect yet. They insist their preferred choice, Peter Obi, would be a much better president and are hoping that, in the coming weeks, the election tribunal would give him victory and hand over to him his ‘stolen mandate’.
One man who does not expect this would be as straight forward as Peter Obi’s followers think but believes the president can change things by healing and uniting the country is the founder and Lead Pastor of Grace Nation Worldwide aka Liberation City, Dr. Chris Okafor. The cleric last Sunday entertained a few questions from journalists shortly after the church service ended.
It had been an explosive power packed service that saw dozens of members of the congregation receiving their deliverance and hundreds going home with testimonies. It was not an unusual occurrence. Okafor is known to be a spirit filled prophetic pastor who can very easily spend hours unleashing nothing but divinely designed powerful prayers unto the church without taking a break. By time he was done, the man of God was soaked in his own sweat, drained of energy, but he was still receptive to taking a few questions from the press.
When asked if he was pleased with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s performance so far, the good-looking pastor paused a moment and then smiled.
“I think so far, so good, he has done well,” he replied.
“Many Nigerians are already impressed with his performance. He has shown that he was prepared for the office. But there is still a whole lot he needs to do first before he can actually achieve most of the things he desires to achieve.”
Speaking further, he said: “I am not a politician but I do know that, considering the situation in the country right now, the first thing the president should focus on achieving is healing and uniting the country.
“If Tinubu does not unite the country and heal the wounds and pains inflicted on many by the perceived injustice done by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the presidential election, it may be difficult for him to get the support of most Nigerians, especially those who believe and still insist Peter Obi won that election.”
So what exactly does the President need to do, he was asked.
“Well, if you ask me, and this is my personal opinion, not God speaking to me, I think the only logical thing to do at this time is to throw his doors open and embrace the Igbos. And one way to do that is by releasing Nnamdi Kanu. The guy has suffered enough. The President will bring joy to the hearts of many if he orders the immediate release of Kanu. This will show clearly that he wants to unite the country. And he can do same for Sunday Igboho. Secure the release of Igboho and let him return to the country to be with his people.”
Okafor added: “The President must allow the Igbos feature prominently in his government. That, for me, is the logical thing to do if the president wants to prove that he is a just and fair president who is desirous of a truly united Nigeria. If he does this, this will certainly melt away a large chunk of the pain the Igbos feel right now and they may just start to have a rethink and say to themselves, maybe we should give this man the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps under his administration, the Igbo will finally have a voice and sense of belonging.”
But it was put to him that some school of thought believe that you do not reap where you have not sowed. Why should the Igbos expect to play prominent roles in a government they voted massively against and whose leader they abused and denigrated before and after he became president?
“But that is the beauty of democracy,” Pastor Okafor responded calmly.
“That is why it is called Democracy. Was the president expecting every Nigerian to vote for him? How can that be possible? That would’ve been ridiculous. And was he thinking every Nigerian likes him? He has been in politics for decades running now, I am sure he understands the terrain very well himself and probably wasn’t surprised at the sort of intense opposition he got from everywhere. And this is why I give him some credit, only a courageous man could’ve survived what he survived.”
