By Mercy IyeneAbasi Etim
After Peter Obi’s third-place finish in the 2023 Presidential Elections, some of his supporters have made it a routine to attack and disparage Christian leaders. These criticisms appear to be targeted based on the leaders’ ethnic backgrounds.
However, this IPOBian bullying antics and attributes did not start post elections. From 2022, Peter Obi’s supporters popularly known as Obidients had developed a knack for attacking anyone who was not partisan, who sat on the fence, or did not openly declare their support for Peter Obi.
Preachers like Pastor Poju Oyemade who had brought Peter Obi back to the limelight via his publicized “The Platform” yearly events despite Obi’s abysmal eight years as governor of Anambra State is not spared. He continues to receive spiteful and hateful remarks from Obidients because he didn’t believe in Peter Obi’s candidacy.
Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the popular christian music concert convener, The Experience, has been under incessant attacks despite yielding his platform to Peter Obi to campaign but chose not to personally endorse the LP flag bearer. Because it seems in the age of Obidiency, personal political choice is a crime.
Another preacher who is still under relentless feverish attack from the Obidient mob is Pastor W.F. Kumuyi whose only crime was choosing to be non-partisan and giving a message of hope for Nigeria.
Ironically, these clergymen preside over congregations that largely supported, campaigned and voted for Peter Obi in the 2023 Presidential Elections.
The crown jewel of it all who deserve our utmost sympathy are members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and their general overseer, Pastor E.A Adeboye.
Every two market days, Pastor Adeboye and his members have to endure endless vitriols and attacks by Obidients who insist that Peter Obi lost the elections because Pastor Adeboye refused to publicly tell his members who to vote for.
The fascinating thing however is that most RCCG members are Obidients.
Recall that the Redeemed Christian Church of God, as the largest congregation in Nigeria contributed immensely in bringing in the APC government to power in 2015 due to the influence of their pastor Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, the vice presidential candidate to Buhari.
After 8 years of being vice president, Prof Osibanjo wanted to run as the presidential candidate of the APC.
But during the APC primaries, he came third and lost to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This didn’t go down well for most RCCG members who had hoped their son and pastor would become the next president of Nigeria.
What further crushed the camel’s back was when Bola Ahmed Tinubu picked Kashim Shettima as his running mate. This gave rise to the Muslim Muslim ticket debate.
Many RCCG members “protested” against APC for not choosing their son and turned to Peter Obi as the “Christian Alternative” in the 2023 Presidential Elections.
Today, the Obidients movements do not take into consideration that many Yoruba Christians and RCCG members voted for Peter Obi in the last elections. They have forgotten that many RCCG pulpits were used as campaign grounds for Peter Obi as the “Christian Candidate”.
Despite the fact that Pastor Adeboye has come out many times to defend himself that he never supported or endorsed any of the candidates, RCCG and its members are constantly ambushed, called bigots and other unprintable names because Peter Obi lost.
It appears Obidients will always be butthurt that Pastor Adeboye didn’t prophecy outrightly that Peter Obi would win the 2023 elections.
So sad that RCCG members who passionately supported Peter Obi are now caught in this endless stray fire from a group who never know when to stop.