•Adeboye and Tinubu
The Continental Overseer for Continent 3 (South West, Nigeria and Middle East) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Joseph Odesola, has urged Nigerians not to pressure the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to speak against President Bola Tinubu.
J.F Odesola stated that Adeboye would speak on the country’s political and economic situation when he believed it was the appropriate time to do so, reports The PUNCH.
He expressed the position in an article published by Impact Nigeria yesterday and shared on his X page with the caption, “Pastor E.A. Adeboye Will Speak Only When God Says Speak.”
Odesola said there was growing pressure on religious leaders, particularly Adeboye, to make public statements about the Tinubu administration, noting that some people appeared to have already decided what they wanted the cleric to say.
He said, “Some people are waiting eagerly for Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye to speak about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But it appears that they are not merely waiting for him to speak; they already have a script they want him to follow.”
According to him, some people expected Adeboye to insult Tinubu, condemn him in strong language or make religious pronouncements against the President.
He, however, argued that such expectations were inconsistent with the way a responsible religious leader should operate.
He wrote, “But that is not Pastor Adeboye. And, more importantly, that is not how a responsible servant of God should operate.”
Odesola said Adeboye had spent decades building a reputation for speaking from conviction, prayer and spiritual responsibility, adding that the cleric should not be expected to speak simply because people demanded it.
He said, “A man of God does not have to speak simply because people are demanding that he speak.”
“There is a difference between speaking because the crowd is shouting and speaking because one has something meaningful to say.
“There is also a difference between political commentary and prophetic responsibility.”
Odesola maintained that if Adeboye believed he had a message from God for the nation, he would speak, adding that the cleric could also choose to pray, counsel or remain silent depending on what he considered appropriate.
He cited Ecclesiastes 3:1, which states, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven,” arguing that there was a time to speak and a time to remain silent.
The RCCG overseer also warned against attempts to turn religious leaders into instruments for validating political positions.
He said, “A genuine servant of God should not become the mouthpiece of any political camp.”
According to him, the church should be able to speak truth to power without becoming a political party or an opposition platform.
He added, “Pastor Adeboye should therefore not be pressured to insult President Tinubu simply because some people believe that is what a ‘bold’ Christian leader ought to do.”
Odesola argued that criticism of government should not necessarily be delivered through insults or anger.
He said, “Truth does not become more powerful because it is delivered with insults. A curse does not become a prophecy simply because it is pronounced from a pulpit. And anger should never be mistaken for spiritual authority.”
The cleric also rejected the idea that religious authority should be determined solely by titles, arguing that spiritual responsibility was personal.
He said Christians should not diminish anyone’s calling because of their position within the church.
“There is no ‘only’ in a divine calling,” he stated.
Odesola cited biblical examples, including Moses, David, Amos and John the Baptist, to argue that the influence of a messenger was not determined by human titles but by the authority of the message entrusted to them.
He also said Adeboye did not need to make sensational statements to prove his courage or satisfy social media expectations.
He wrote, “Pastor Adeboye does not need to perform for social media. He does not need to say something sensational simply because Nigerians are waiting for a headline.
“He does not need to insult anybody to prove that he is courageous. He does not need to pronounce a curse to demonstrate that he has spiritual authority.”
Odesola acknowledged that Nigeria needed religious leaders to speak on issues affecting citizens, including poverty, insecurity, unemployment, rising living costs, education, healthcare and declining trust in public institutions.
He, however, urged religious leaders to address such issues responsibly.
He said, “Nigeria needs voices that can tell the government the truth without hatred. We need voices that can challenge opposition politicians without fear.
“We need leaders who can comfort ordinary Nigerians who are struggling.”
He urged Nigerians to allow Adeboye to pray, listen and discern before making public pronouncements.
Odesola said, “Let Pastor Adeboye pray. Let him listen. Let him discern. And when he has something he believes God has instructed him to say, let him say it with the courage of conviction.”
He added that Adeboye’s failure to make the statement expected by some Nigerians should not automatically be interpreted as a failure of leadership.
According to him, “A servant of God is not called to satisfy the expectations of the crowd. He is called to obey God.”
Odesola concluded by urging those waiting for Adeboye to attack Tinubu or make a dramatic religious pronouncement not to dictate what the cleric should say.
He wrote, “Don’t write his script for him. He will speak when he believes he should speak. He will pray when he believes he should pray. And if God has not told him to say what the crowd wants to hear, he should have the courage to say nothing at all.”
He said the strength of a man of God should not be measured by how loudly he speaks, but by how faithfully he obeys God.
Adeboye had come under public pressure from some Nigerians to comment on the policies and state of the nation under the Tinubu administration.
