The race for the 2023 presidential race is fast taking a new twist, as 2 of the leading candidates for the Presidency, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo have been locked in a bitter face-off, with their supporters pitched against each other.
A respected man of God, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, who is the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has surprisingly been dragged into this politics of 2023. This is because both Vice President Osinbajo & Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are 2 gentlemen who are very close to him. And they both will need his blessings.
In the case of Osinbajo, Pastor Adeboye is his spiritual father. Osinbajo is a Senior Pastor of RCCG and has always been very close to Papa Adeboye. Although Osinbajo has not formally signified his intention to run for Presidency, his body language shows this. His aides have also been coordinating his campaign all over the country. There are so many groups campaigning for him. And some political leaders like IBB have endorsed him. Though Osinbajo has also not revealed whether he has received the blessings of Papa Adeboye or not, City People gathered that he had allegedly mentioned it to him and he has been told to commit it to prayers and fasting. City People gathered that there are 2 people that Osinbajo needs to mention the project to for their blessings and they are his boss, Pres. Muhammadu Buhari and Pastor Adeboye, his spiritual father. And we hear he has told the 2 of them.
We hear that Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has already informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention to run for President in 2023, and his boss has given his nod.
Prof Yemi Osinbajo is one of the Redeemed Church Pastors. The man of God was the Pastor-In-Charge of the Lagos Province 48 (Olive Tree provincial headquarters) of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Banana Island, Ikoyi before his inauguration into office as the Vice President of Nigeria. He is still a pastor of the parish. He however still insists that he remains the pastor-in-charge of the said province and according to him he is only on loan to the Federal Government.
Not too many people know that Prof Yemi Osibajo enjoys a robust relationship with Adeboye and they are very close even before he became Nigeria’s VP. Pastor Yemi Osinbajo gave his life to Christ in 1993 and his journey to the ministry and therefore becoming a pastor is a motivating one when his path crossed with the senior pastor of House of Freedom, This present house church in Lekki, Pastor Tony Rapu who was one of the close pastors of Pastor Adeboye and who amongst many others changed the face of the Redeemed church with the establishment of model parishes.
It was a worthy encounter when their paths met as far back as the early 90s and that was what changed Prof Osinbajo’s life thus starting a new life in Christ during an annual programme organised by the redeemed church. Ever since that meeting 24 years ago, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has risen through the hierarchy and finally became a pastor in charge of one of the cash cows and most popular redeemed church parishes in Lagos. That has been the beginning of his countless encounters with the General Overseer of Redeemed Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye for the past 24 years. Prof Yemi Osibajo has no doubt found a father in his spiritual mentor, Adeboye as he has enjoyed enormous support from him in the course of serving his country. 2 years ago, Prof Yemi Osibajo was the one who delivered Pastor Adeboye's 73rd birthday lecture.
During the launch of Pastor Adeboye's new book, Prof Osinbajo disclosed that he always sought the counsel of Papa Adeboye before he does anything, He disclosed that the only two people he consulted before accepting to be vice-president to President Mohammadu Buhari in 2015 were the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye; and his own wife, Dolapo.
He disclosed this during a remark at the public presentation of a book, Pastor E. A. Adeboye: His Life and Calling, at the auditorium of the RCCG Youth Centre, Redemption Camp, on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. Osinbajo said because he was not a politician when the opportunity came, he could only seek the consent of two persons as stated. He said, “And those two persons are my wife and Daddy (Pastor Adeboye).
"Over the years, Daddy had been instrumental to my spiritual growth. I consulted Daddy and he gave me the go-ahead to accept the vice-president position. Before then I was not a politician.”
Prior to that he also revealed papa Adeboye’s prediction on his emergence. Professor Yemi Osinbajo disclosed that his emergence as the incoming number two man in the nation was predicted by his spiritual father and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E.A. Adeboye. He stated this on Friday, May 1, at the May National Holy Ghost Service of RCCG at the Redemption Camp during testimony time.
While it was his turn to give his testimony, the VP elect who pastors the Lagos Province 48 of the ministry, said: “My name is Yemi Osinbajo and I’m here to testify to God’s goodness. For the past four months, we have been campaigning all around the country by sea, air, road and God has kept us and by March 28, He gave us victory at the poll.”
“God marked me out for the position of the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” According to Osinbajo, “he is part of the fulfilled prophecy made by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, that in RCCG, there would-be pastors, presidents, Vice Presidents in the church.”
In the case of Asiwaju Tinubu, Pastor Adeboye is also key to Tinubu’s ambition. Tinubu has already informed Pres. Buhari. But he is yet to formally inform or consult Pastor Adeboye who he is close to, a source revealed. Why does he need to tell Pastor Adeboye? This is because Pastor Adeboye & Tinubu are close, since Tinubu's days as Governor of Lagos.
His wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu is a high ranking Pastor with Redeemed Church. Recall that at the 66th Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the General Overseer of the church, Pastor EA Adeboye ordained over 3000 candidates as Assistant Pastors and Pastors.
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, was ordained during the convention whose theme was “Dominion” and the APC leader was there to witness the event. Her ordination was done by Pastor Adewole Haastrup, the Assistant General Overseer at the Old Arena of RCCG, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.
To become a pastor in RCCG, one must have gone through the preparatory stages of Baptismal and workers-in-training class. The candidate must have completed a one-year course at the church’s School of Disciples and consistently participating in church activities and programmes. The person must also be a worker that has served in different or specific positions in the parish he attends and is recommended by senior pastors for ordination. These were the stages Senator Oluremi passed through and became a deacon of the church for many years until her ordination as Pastor. The National Overseer of the Church, Pastor Joseph Obayemi presented the 3,406 candidates to the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye to be ordained to the office of assistant pastors in the church after due examination by relevant authorities. After the presentation, the General Overseer explained that ordination into the office of Assistant Pastors of RCCG is done by anointing with oil, laying of hands, proclamation and prayer and they all filed out for the anointing which symbolizes the official stamp on them to operate in the office of assistant pastors in the mission which was led by Pastor (Mrs) Foluke Adeboye, mummy GO.
The pretty wife of APC national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and Nigeria’s distinguished senator, Chief (Mrs) Oluremi Tinubu has not hidden the fact that she is born again Christian and a practicing one at that. She supports anything that has to do with church especially Redeemed Christian Church of God where she now serves as a Pastor. Her beautiful life and encounter with Christ started several decades ago and she has kept her faith intact ever since she allied with the things of God. Despite being married to a Muslim, this has not in any way deterred her from the things of God In fact her husband is seen to be her number one fan when it comes to her religion, no wonder her marriage has lasted over 25-years despite the fact that they practice different religions.
On one occasion, Asiwaju spoke glowingly about his wife being a Christian that she is very dedicated to her religion. He said he has never seen anyone so organized like his wife, For Remi, my wife who is here, very detailed if you are looking for somebody that has gotten me organized a bit, it is my wife. She never jokes with the things of God and you cannot find her being late to church”.
Apart from the fact that she is now a Pastor, she shares a close mother-sister relationship with Mummy GO, Pastor Foluke Adeboye. She has been a recurring decimal at all Redeemed Church events especially the Adeboyes and likewise, the Adeboyes too always honour Sen. Remi Tinubu at her events.
Recall during Sen Remi Tinubu’s 50th birthday, Pastor Adeboye and his wife, Folu stormed the venue and led over 2000 Christians to Eko Hotel and Suites for the birthday praise concert. Popular RCCG saxophonist, Kunle Ajayi serenaded guests. In fact, Pastor Adeboye delivered the sermon. At that event, Pastor Adeboye had to explain why he flew into Nigeria from abroad to attend Oluremi's birthday. He said as a matter of policy he doesn't attend birthdays because he doesn't have the time to honour all the requests he gets from his followers but explained that he had to attend that of his daughter, Oluremi, which he said was an exception.
Let's also quickly add that at all Pastor Adeboye and Mama’s birthdays, Sen Remi Tinubu is always present. This closeness they have shared for many years. In one of Sen. Remi Tinubu’s interview, before she became a pastor, she said
‘’I am not a Pastor yet, I am just a Deaconess but I am a graduate of Bible College. Mama Adeboye is a spiritual mother to me. I remember when I approached her that I was going to the Senate, she said ‘make sure you stand for God.’ I can never forget that. Going for a second term, I have already gone to them, so, I have spiritual parents that I don’t want to put to shame and I of course don’t want to put my family to shame. So, I know what the faith entails me to do”. She was also at Mama’s 70th birthday and spoke glowing of her and her husband, Pastor Adeboye.
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