Skip to main content

2023 Presidency: Middle Belt Clergymen fault PFN President for backing Southern candidacy





A group of clergymen under the auspices of Coalition of Middle Belt Clergy have distanced themselves from what they describe as divisive comments from some clerics.


The coalition in a statement  by its convener, Bishop Prince Madaki on Tuesday in Abuja, said it was not part of alleged recent divisive comment credited to National President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria(PFN) Bishop Francis Wale Oke.


"The Coalition of Middle Belt Clergy   unequivocally condemns the statement credited to Bishop Francis Wale Oke as highly unfortunate and unacceptable. 


"The bishop spoke for himself and not for or on behalf of the Children of God. 


"He did not speak in his capacity as the National President of PFN as that would amount to dragging a theological institution into politics, which would amount to surreptitiously imposing theocracy on the country.  


He should not use the name of the Pentecostal fellowship for self gains and purposes or he should resign his spiritual commission to pursue politics full time."


He further said "the Coalition Middle Belt Clergy  is of the view that the 2023 presidency will be decided by Nigerians as guided by God. If the electorates decide on someone from the Middle- Belt which is also known as the North Central geo-political zone  that person’s faith will be immaterial to the extent that he can lead God’s people to the promised land.


'It is therefore wise to use this statement to call on Nigerians especially Christians from the Middle - Belt not to be misled by Bishop Francis Wale Oke and those pushing him into this ungodly adventure. 


"Our disappointment stems from the divisive tone of Bishop Oke’s statement, which came at a time that the country needs additional healing from the artificial divisions that the rich and the powerful have sown among citizens. 


"In the run-up to the 2015 General Elections, certain influential clerics in this country played the ethno-sectarian card to the extent that Nigerians went for each other’s jugular on the bases of ethnicity and religion.


Those who ran this destructive campaign against Nigeria at that time were desperate to the extent that they hired data analysis firm, Cambridge Analytica, to run a disinformation campaign to the effect that a particular presidential candidate was out to Islamize Nigeria.


The convener further said "our thoughts were that the PFN President would have by now disown the statement outrightly or the very least come out to say that he was misquoted. But there has been nothing of such.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court Sets Aside Arrest, Remand, Wanted Declaration Against Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, has set aside its earlier ex-parte order authorizing the arrest, remand, and “wanted” declaration of Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Hammed Ajiran. The development follows the earlier declaration of Akanbi as wanted for alleged multiple murder by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Olorundare Jimoh, on February 19, 2026. However, in a ruling delivered today, Magistrate L.A. Owolabi of Magistrate Court 3 nullified the ex-parte order initially granted on February 16, 2026. In his decision, Magistrate Owolabi held that the order was obtained through the concealment of material facts. The court specifically noted that the counsel who filed and argued the application, Nosa Watson Uhumwangho, was under suspension by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee at the time and therefore lacked the right of audience before the court. The ruling sparked jubilation among members of the youth wing of the Ojomu royal family, who...
Post a Comment
Read more

Court Cautions Police, Orders Proper Invitation of Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi

A Lagos State Magistrate Court has cautioned the Lagos State Police Command and directed that proper procedures be followed in the handling of the case involving Mr. Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Hammed Ajiran, in what is seen as a setback for individuals including Bashir Fakorede, Jide Akinloye, and Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Jimoh Moshood. Presiding over proceedings in the Ogba Magisterial District, Magistrate A. J. Odueke, in Charge No: MISC/126/2026, held that the police must formally invite Akanbi rather than declare him wanted. The Court further stated that an order for arrest would only be considered if he fails to honour such an invitation. The Court noted that it was mindful of previous proceedings in Charge No: MCIK/60A/2026, where a similar application had earlier been set aside by another Magistrate on March 23, 2026, on the grounds of illegality. Consequently, the Court declined to entertain what it described as a repetition of a defective process. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

TASA Strengthens Alliance With Lagos Student Leaders, Sets Campus Mobilization in Motion Ahead of 2027 General Election

The Tinubu–Ambode Support Associates (TASA) today Wednesday, December 4, 2025, convened a strategic stakeholders’ meeting with student union leaders from across Lagos State, reaffirming the critical role of young people in shaping the democratic direction of the state as preparations intensify toward the 2027 general elections.   The meeting, attended by representatives of 11 tertiary institutions under the coordinated leadership of the Joint Campus Committee (JCC), NANS Lagos Chapter, provided a robust platform for frank political discourse, progressive engagement, and actionable strategies for youth driven political mobilization.   TASA leadership briefed the students on the urgent necessity of active participation in governance, noting that voter apathy particularly among young people significantly affected the 2023 general elections. The association emphasized that the era of leaving political decisions solely in the hands of politicians must end, as such disengagement onl...
Post a Comment
Read more