The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Bishop Stephen Adegbite, has revealed that Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan initially declined to recognise Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President following his victory in the 2023 presidential election.
Adegbite made the disclosure during an interview on TVC on Thursday while speaking about political prophecies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the NCPC boss, Onaiyekan had insisted that he would not recognise Tinubu as president until the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the legal challenges to the 2023 presidential election.
“In 2023, when President Tinubu was declared the winner, Cardinal Onaiyekan said he would not recognise Mr President until the Supreme Court gave its verdict,” Adegbite said.
He, however, said he and others had argued that Tinubu remained the duly recognised president unless the Supreme Court overturned the election result.
“But we said Nigerians had voted and we have a President, and until the decision is overturned by the Supreme Court, that’s when you can speak,” he added.
Adegbite used the episode to caution Nigerians against relying on political prophecies when deciding who to support in the 2027 presidential election.
He urged voters to assess candidates based on their records, achievements and performance rather than predictions by religious leaders.
The Methodist bishop also criticised political supporters who attack opponents instead of promoting the achievements of their preferred candidates.
“You can have your own candidate, but don’t run down other people’s candidates. Sell your own candidate. Let people see what your candidate has done to justify becoming the President of Nigeria,” he said.
Adegbite said the performance of the Tinubu administration would ultimately play a major role in determining how Nigerians vote in 2027.
He pointed to ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, as some of the projects that could influence public perception of the administration.
“The work of Mr President will speak for him,” he said.
The NCPC executive secretary also expressed concern over the increasing use of political prophecies by religious leaders, alleging that some clerics make such predictions primarily to attract attention and increase their social media following.
“They only want attention. They want to attract crowds and traffic to their social media handles,” Adegbite said.
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