by Jane osamor
… Abeokuta has a spiritual place in the destiny of Yoruba land as far as the leadership of Nigeria is concerned.
Prior to the 2023 Presidential Elections in Nigeria, Special Apostle David O. Oladugbagbe, the Founder of The Word Sanctuary Of God Ministry and Proprietor of the popular Fourgate Hospitality Outfit, Alagbole Ogun State had on while in faraway Jerusalem on annual pilgrimage predicted that the 2023 General will witness tribal tensions that if not handled well may lead to tribal and religious crisis in the country. Looking back now in retrospect, no one can doubt the veracity of these predictions. In Lagos especially, there was palpable ethnic tensions that led to low level skirmishes between the Ibos and Yoruba’s which tremors have still not been totally doused.
However, to get more clarification on these predictions and to get a clearer picture on what Nigerians should expect before and after the May 29 handing over date, this medium paid a visit to this Man of God to hear more from him. Giving more insight into his prediction, Special Apostle David Oladugbagbe categorically declared that the specter of inter- ethnic and religious clashes leading to bloodshed has still not been totally removed over Nigeria. He stated that powerful elements bent on destroying the country are still planning to cause crisis using religion and ethnicity as a cover.
He stated that God is intent on punishing Nigeria for the innocent blood that has been shed and crying to high heavens for appeasement. He said the cries of aggrieved mothers especially of the victims of the EndSars protests are also haunting the country. He advised that Nigerians should pray fervently as nothing can be done to avoid the coming calamity but prayers. He declared that even then, the crisis will only be mitigated to limit the number of casualties but will not be totally avoided
He further predicted that if the President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may end up just bearing the title of President-Elect but may never attain the title of President and Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He said the looming religious and ethnic crisis may occur as a fall out of Asiwaju not attaining the Presidency due to assassination or outright failure to attain the presidency due to any other reason. He looked further to predict that even if Asiwaju managed to be sworn in on May 29 2023, he may not last long a situation that may still ignite the crisis.
However, he advised Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to go back to Abeokuta to categorically restate his right to be the next President of Nigeria if he hopes to achieve his dream. He said the significance of Asiwaju going back to Abeokuta to authoritatively restate his claim is both physical and spiritual. According to Special Apostle Oladugbagbe, firstly, for no reason known to him, Abeokuta has a spiritual place in the destiny of Yoruba as far as the leadership of Nigeria is concerned. Secondly, it was in Abeokuta that Tinubu first made his authoritative claim to the Nigerian Presidency before his victory at the APC Primaries. It was at was at Abeokuta too that he made the authoritative declaration towards the tail end of the campaigns that vote or don’t vote, I will win. Based on these authoritative declarations at Abeokuta, a place with spiritual significance, he has to go back to Abeokuta one more time to redeclare his mandate with that same authority so as to be sworn in as the President and Commander-In-Chief come May 2023.
Speaking more on what could be done to avoid the crisis, Oladugbagbe declared that it is only prayers. According to him, ironically one of the major hinderance to the progress of Nigeria is the prayers of Christians. He said that while it is the Christians who pray most for the progress of Nigerians, they seem to forget that God do not do anything without blood. If he wants to establish a nation, it is affected with blood. He wants to avenge a nation; it is with blood. After praying for God to avenge Nigeria and he starts with the accompanying bloodshed, it is still the Christians who will be crying out to God to stop the cleansing. He said the unfortunate thing is that if the looming crisis is not avoided, it is the Christians who will die the most. But God is intent on avenging Nigeria because we have made so many mistakes and the shedding of innocent blood has become too much.
He said all Nigerians need now is to cry to God for mercy. In his words “this is why I see as God as always told me that Baba Adeboye of R.C.C.G. is one of the only few men who God has truly sent in Nigeria. I watched his special program where he prayed for mercy for Nigeria early this year which is what this country needs now. Perhaps, it is in answer to this prayer that the crisis has been avoided till now. But we have to still pray for mercy.
