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The Continental Overseer for Continent 3 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, covering South West Nigeria and the Middle East, Pastor Joseph Odesola, has appealed to Nigerians to stop pressuring the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to publicly condemn President Bola Tinubu or speak in a particular way about the country’s political situation.
Odesola said Adeboye would speak when he believed the time was right, stressing that the respected cleric should not be pushed into making public statements simply because Nigerians expect him to do so.
He made the remarks in an article published by Impact Nigeria on Monday and shared on his X page under the title, “Pastor E.A. Adeboye Will Speak Only When God Says Speak.”
According to Odesola, there has been increasing pressure on religious leaders, especially Adeboye, to comment on the Tinubu administration. He noted that some people were not merely asking the cleric to speak but had already decided what they wanted him to say.
He wrote: “But that is not Pastor Adeboye. And, more importantly, that is not how a responsible servant of God should operate.”
Odesola said Adeboye had spent decades building a reputation for speaking based on conviction, prayer and spiritual responsibility, adding that Nigerians should not expect him to abandon that principle because of public pressure.
“A man of God does not have to speak simply because people are demanding that he speak.”
He continued:“There is a difference between speaking because the crowd is shouting and speaking because one has something meaningful to say.”
“There is also a difference between political commentary and prophetic responsibility.”
The RCCG overseer maintained that if Adeboye believed he had a message from God concerning Nigeria, he would speak. But if he believed the appropriate response was to pray, offer counsel or remain silent, that decision should also be respected.
To buttress his argument, Odesola cited Ecclesiastes 3:1, which says: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
He argued that there is a time to speak and a time to keep silent, warning Nigerians against turning religious leaders into instruments for advancing political interests.
“A genuine servant of God should not become the mouthpiece of any political camp.”
According to him, the church must be able to speak truth to power without turning itself into a political party or an opposition platform.
Odesola therefore cautioned against pressuring Adeboye to attack or insult Tinubu simply because some people believe that doing so would demonstrate courage.
“Pastor Adeboye should therefore not be pressured to insult President Tinubu simply because some people believe that is what a ‘bold’ Christian leader ought to do.”
He also rejected the idea that criticism of government must come with anger or insults, insisting that the manner in which truth is delivered does not determine its validity.
“Truth does not become more powerful because it is delivered with insults. A curse does not become a prophecy simply because it is pronounced from a pulpit. And anger should never be mistaken for spiritual authority.”
The cleric further argued that spiritual authority should not be measured merely by titles or positions within the church. He referenced biblical figures such as Moses, David, Amos and John the Baptist, noting that their influence came from the message entrusted to them rather than from human recognition.
Odesola equally said Adeboye had nothing to prove to social media users and did not need to make sensational statements simply to generate headlines.
“Pastor Adeboye does not need to perform for social media. He does not need to say something sensational simply because Nigerians are waiting for a headline.”
“He does not need to insult anybody to prove that he is courageous. He does not need to pronounce a curse to demonstrate that he has spiritual authority.”
While acknowledging that Nigeria needs religious leaders to speak about pressing issues such as poverty, insecurity, unemployment, rising living costs, education, healthcare and declining public trust, Odesola said such interventions must be responsible and guided by conviction rather than political pressure.
“Nigeria needs voices that can tell the government the truth without hatred. We need voices that can challenge opposition politicians without fear.”
“We need leaders who can comfort ordinary Nigerians who are struggling.”
He consequently urged Nigerians to give Adeboye room to pray, listen and discern before making any public pronouncement.
“Let Pastor Adeboye pray. Let him listen. Let him discern. And when he has something he believes God has instructed him to say, let him say it with the courage of conviction.”
Odesola insisted that Adeboye’s decision not to make the statement some Nigerians expect should not automatically be interpreted as weakness or failure of leadership.
“A servant of God is not called to satisfy the expectations of the crowd. He is called to obey God.”He concluded with a direct appeal to those waiting for Adeboye to attack Tinubu or deliver a dramatic political statement: “Don’t write his script for him. He will speak when he believes he should speak. He will pray when he believes he should pray. And if God has not told him to say what the crowd wants to hear, he should have the courage to say nothing at all.”
According to Odesola, the true strength of a man of God should not be measured by how loudly he speaks, but by how faithfully he obeys God.
Adeboye has faced pressure from some Nigerians in recent times to comment on the policies of the Tinubu administration and the wider state of the nation.
