2023 AND DISCORDANT DIVINATIONS
Jason Osai writes that God is not author of confusion
Divination, the act of finding out what will happen in the future by using special powers, or the practice of this act has been a permanent fixture in the affairs of man from antiquity. Michel Nostradamus (1503-1566), a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, is best known for his book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events. He was a reputed seer who supposedly predicted WW2 mentioning Hister (Hitler) by name albeit with slight spelling error. In one of his quatrains, he wrote thus: “Two metal birds fly into a tower” thereby starting Third World War; this has been read to allude to 9/11. Nostradamus also predicted what has turned out to be the translation of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the anticipated ascension of King Charles in 2023. Other than Nostradamus, there have been reputable chiromancers and seers in various parts of the world in human history.
Prophecies by men of God is not a new phenomenon; it existed in biblical times. In modernity, prophecies have also remained a major feature of Christendom, especially in Pentecostalism. It is within the purview of this that the prophecies of three Pentecostal pastors for 2023 presidential election is being interrogated. The worrisome thing is that, seven pastors have discordantly predicted the outcome of the presidential election.
Pastor Sunday Adelaja, a Nigerian pastor based in Ukraine, is said to have recently declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be elected president in 2023. Sources hold that in a lengthy piece titled: NIGERIA, BEHOLD YOUR NEXT PRESIDENT and posted on his verified Facebook page, the founder of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations in Kyiv, Ukraine, said the former Lagos Governor would win because of 10 reasons, which time and space have disallowed detailing here. Earlier and similarly, Pastor Alamu David of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Abule Egba, Lagos, prophesied a Tinubu victory in the 2023 presidential election. According to Pastor David, the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the future president of Nigeria was revealed to him in a vision in 2008. In same vein, Rev (Dr.) David Oyediran declared in March 2022 that Ahmed Bola Tinubu“will rule Nigeria constitutionally.” Expressing optimism in the capacity of Tinubu as a manager of resources, the general superintendent of Glorious Vision World Outreach Ministries Lagos, said “Tinubu is one of the few people who can restore hope and transform the nation as president”.
Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi, the General Overseer of King of Kings Deliverance Ministry, Gbonum Ulepa Ntezi, in Ebonyi State, claims that God told him that Atiku would win in 2023. This is clearly at variance with the prophecies of Reverend Oyediran and others previously mentioned. In a statement made in June, Prophet Chukwudi asserted that the 2023 presidency belongs to no other person than, the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar. Aligning himself with the prophecy of Prophet Chukwudi, Pastor Adewale Giwa, Senior Pastor of the Awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ Ministry, Akure, Ondo State holds that Atiku Abubakar, will win the election and that Tinubu was the only candidate that could give Atiku a bit of hiccup in the contest. Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, holds that the contest would be a straight battle between the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and Atiku. He, however, tipped Atiku to emerge victorious. The cleric ruled out the candidate of the APC, Tinubu, from the contest because of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Toeing a different path in what has invariably become discordant divinations, Reverend Shalom Kelvin Akinbo categorically states that Peter Obi will win the election. The Head Pastor of Doers Nation International Church, in Akure, the Ondo State, based his prophecy on a revelation from God. The cleric, however, warned that there must be intense prayers to avert confusion in the land.
Safely sitting on the fence in the game of divine messenger-ship, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), says that God is yet to speak to him on the issue. He stated this on Friday, November 4, at the Redemption Camp while ministering to the congregation at the latest edition of the “Holy Ghost Service” program.
Seven men of God (MOG) claiming revelation from God are torn into three parts: three for Candidate A, three for Candidate B and one for Candidate C. The eight MOG bidding his time, waiting for the voice of the Divine One. The question is: Did they really hear from God or is it a pigment of their imagination buoyed by desperation for relevance?
The literature of Judeo-Christian theology says that “God is not author of confusion”. God, whoever or whatever He, She, They or It may be, DID NOT speak those discordances. So, some of MOGs spoke falsely. While Adeboye is sitting comfortably on the fence, four or six of them are false prophets. Take a listen to this: If Tinubu wins, then four of them lied; if Atiku wins, four of them lied and if Obi wins, six of them lied. I once wrote thus: “self seeking and self serving prosperity preaching pastors proselytize while pauperizing the people from the posh personages, platforms and pulpits of Pentecostalism”. Institutional religion is the bane of human society. To quote Thomas Paine (1737-1809) “The whole world should be our country and to do good, our religion”.
Prof Osai writes from Port Harcourt
nt. We therefore urge voters to take advantage of the opportunity offered by INEC’s technologies to vote. In the near future, even the monetisation of votes will no longer be relevant.
Agbese is Chairman while Okino is Secretary, Northern Media Forum
