Over the weekend, Pastor Timothy Olaniyan, Head of the Directorate of Politics and Governance of the Redeemed Christian Church (RCCG), at the weekend, according to multiple media reports, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, an All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential hopeful, is a child of God who will keep his promises if elected president in 2023.

Pastor Olaniyan, who had previously denied mobilising support for the vice president’s ambition, said Osinbajo, being a “child of God,” remained the only aspirant capable of changing the governance narrative in Nigeria.

“As of today, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo is not just a pastor; he is still a child of God,” he said.

Speaking to journalists at the inaugural conference of a political movement called New Era Nigeria (NEN), Olaniyan said the country deserved an honest leader.

NEN is a political movement that aims to change the narrative of governance in 2023.

Olaniyan remarked, as reported by People’s Gazette:

Money politics in this country has led us to where we are now.

Pastor Timothy Olaniyan

According to him, “People will promise heaven and earth, and at the end of the day, you see them giving ₦1000, ₦2000 to eligible voters.

“After the election, you won’t see any of their promises being fulfilled and the people they gave money to will not have access to these notable politicians.

“It is high time our eyes were opened.

“What we want is not those baits, we want somebody that would make a promise to our children and fulfill it.

“If you tell me education is going to be free, I want you to get there and make it free so that we would not continue to build up youths who have no future.

“As of today, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo is not just a pastor, he is still a child of God.

“There are many pastors who can decide to do rituals with a human skull and still claim to be a pastor.

“I am talking of a child of God.”

On his part, the Convener of NEN, Dr Fatunji Stephen, said: “Since our independence, we have little or nothing to show for it.

“Administrations come and go, they make promises every now, and then, yet the story remains the same.

“As the citizens of this nation, we can’t fold our arms and be criticising them.

“This is what brought about the concept of New Era Nigeria.

“The old era of leadership in Nigeria is characterised by systemic corruption, and self-interest, among other vices you can’t imagine.

“We want the kind of people that will emerge to be credible. People that would not go into public offices for personal gain.

“We want people that would rise and be selfless for the betterment of this nation.”

About the Directorate of Politics and Governance of RCCG

In March, the overseer in charge of the Middle East and the National Officer of Administration and Personnel, Pastor Johnson Fusho Odesola explained that the newly created Directorate of Politics and Governance is not to support a particular person but all church members involved in politics.

The church in a statement signed by Pastor Odesola clarified that the new office was to help coordinate the engagement of the church members who are willing to be involved in politics as well as mobilise support for them.

“It is important to highlight that the operative words are: “…help coordinate the engagement of our people who are willing to be involved in politics as well as mobilise support for them”. The statement reads in part.

As a big and dynamic church, RCCG considers herself one of the nation’s stakeholders and the work of the directorate is in direct response to the advisory of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to support our members on effective and efficient voter education and the discharge of their related civic rights and obligations.

Yemi Osinbajo is a member of the RCCG, the Pastor in charge of the Lagos Province 48 (Olive Tree provincial headquarters) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.