Founder, Evangelical Church of Yahweh Worldwide, Primate Theophilus Olabayo, is a renowned prophet of God, whose prophesies are always as certain as death. He prophesied that the late MKO Abiola would contest the presidential election and win but would die before he gets to the presidency. It happened. During the autocratic days of General Sani Abacha, he prophesied that God was going to take over government from Abacha and it happened when Abacha suddenly died in 1998.

There are a couple of other recent prophesies like the Osun and Ekiti State governorship elections where he prophesied that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would emerge victorious in the two elections. It happened that way. Also, during the last tension-soaked governorship election in Anambra State, he equally prophesied that the incumbent governor, Willie Obiano was going to win and he won.

He has declared that the presidency would remain in the North in 2023 and advised the Southern politicians not to waste their resources in that regard, but rather use such resources to provide infrastructure to better the lots of their people.

Ahead of the governorship election in Edo State, he has prophesied that political assassination would be rampant and asked the people to be watchful. He also said he saw a lot of bereavements in the National Assembly and urged the legislators to speak the truth at all times.

In this exclusive, he spoke on various of issues.

You used to be very vocal and blunt about the affairs of the country. But, with all that has been happening recently in the country, you have remained very quiet. Are you afraid of the government or you are comfortable with recent happenings in Nigeria?

Thank you very much. Years back, myself and the late Idahosa were the only ones that said everything that happened concerning the country even when ‘Babangida was Babangida’, and he never arrested us. During the Abacha period, I was the only vocal voice. There is time to be silent. I am a prophet; I am not a charlatan. Most of the people parading themselves as prophets nowadays are not prophets. I blame the media for promoting emergency contractors employed by politicians as prophets; they are not prophets. I don’t know anybody in the media who can carry my message to the people. I have been talking but those in authority don’t listen. Before terrorism emerged in Nigeria, I spoke about it and I was called a prophet of doom that time. You remember that before MKO Abiola contested for election, I told him that he would contest and win the election but he would die before he gets there and it happened. When people were crying about the highhandedness of Abacha’s government, I told Nigerians that they should not worry because God was going to take away the government from Abacha and he never arrested me. There was a day he sent one General Sabo to me at Ilupeju but when the man came and I started to prophesy about his life, he apologised to me, saying he thought I was against the government and he left.

Concerning our current situation in Nigeria, we are under a siege because we have a lying government. When Buhari became the president, most people said the Messiah had come but I told Nigerians that Buhari is not the Messiah. With what is happening today, you can now judge whether he is the Messiah or not. Buhari is surrounded by enemies who call themselves cabal; they are anti-Christians. And the Christians who are in Buhari’s government are not doing the right thing; they don’t carry us along. The most annoying thing which makes me weep all the time is our leaders’ constant claim that they have defeated the Boko Haram insurgency. Borno and Yobe State governors live in Abuja because their safety is no longer guaranteed in their states. There are so many places in the North that are no-go-areas. The height of the insecurity in the North is the recent abduction and beheading of the Adamawa State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chairman by members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect.

There are so many things that this government are dabbling into which they shouldn’t. They are not facing the problems of Nigeria. Ask our senators whether they go to their villages; they don’t because everybody now lives in fear. When I was raising the alarm, nobody believed me. Kaduna to Kano and Kaduna to Abuja have been taken over by bandits and very soon, it will get to Niger State. Why are we deceiving ourselves? I am not afraid of the government. I will say what God says. You people in the media don’t listen. You promote charlatans as prophets. Somebody will just call you, give you money and tell you to go and write that God has said this or that and you would do that.

Recently, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, has come under heavy attack by some Nigerians over his prophecy on the eventual outcome of the Imo State governorship election; what is your take on that?

It is either the press or the government wants to destroy Catholic Church; I have never seen the Catholic Church having a prophet. During Goodluck Jonathan’s government, Fr. Mbaka was very close to Jonathan but later he fell out with him.

This time around, the same Mbaka prophesied about Imo State. Now, see what is happening in Imo State. They arranged it and said that the man who did not win election is now the governor and they removed a sitting governor. Let me say this, Mbaka is not a prophet; he is a social critic. You know, people can read things and call themselves prophet. Now, he has set Imo State in trouble. The last time I travelled, people were asking me if there was any law in my country. I told them I didn’t understand what they meant by that and they told me that for the Supreme Court in my country, anything goes. They said money has taken over everywhere; and that there was corruption of the highest order.

Mbaka did not see any prophesy. Let me tell the Federal Government that if they don’t do the right thing, judgement of God is coming. Those that are being killed are getting prepared; you know you cannot kill a ghost. They are gathering and very soon they will come out and be entering the houses of those who killed them and be killing them. We are heading to anarchy.

Are you saying that Mbaka’s prophesy on the outcome of Imo State governorship election was responsible for the Supreme Court’s eventual verdict?

It was not a prophecy; it was arranged.

Do you share in the opinion of those who believe that Mbaka is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

He may not be a member of the APC but the APC can use him. Politicians can use anybody to prophesy nowadays. That is their gimmicks. If care is not taken the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, is going to destroy this country. See what is happening in Edo State. He can do anything; they manouvre things anyhow. In my state, Kogi, you saw what happened during the recent governorship election. They were killing people and snatching ballot boxes. Is that how to conduct elections? The same thing happened in Bayelsa. They want to turn the country into a one-party state but it will not work. They are sitting on a keg of gun powder. Buhari is a complete gentleman but he has to watch his back for a new dawn is coming and a new Nigeria will be born because they want to set this country ablaze.

How do you mean a new Nigeria will be born?

A new Nigeria will be born because those in authority don’t want to restructure the country. However, restructuring can’t even happen now, but, what is happening now; the regional formation of security network, will gradually lead to restructuring. In future, there will be six presidents in the six zones and then we have a loose federation. And that will happen between now and the next three years or so; I am a prophet and those boys the media always promote are not prophets but social scientists.

You mention the formation of regional security network as a step that will lead to eventual restructuring of the country, what is your take on the formation of Amotekun in the South West?

Everybody should support Amotekun. You can’t be killing my people and expect me to keep quiet. I thank God that the South West governors came together to form the Amotekun security network. It is good; they are going to succeed but South West governors should try to finance them very well. I want to advise Lagos and Osun State governors to support Amotekun very well. Again, Lagos State will be very hot because I saw terrorism coming into the South West. Amotekun has to be fully prepared and the governors must support it fully. And anybody that says Amotekun will not succeed is a liar. You can see that our service chiefs have failed.

So many Nigerians, and recently the National Assembly, have called for the reconfiguration of the security architecture, lamenting that the country’s security chiefs as you said have failed woefully, but the president seems to be satisfied with their performance so far. What is you take on that?

You don’t understand what operates in government circle, particularly with the Service Chiefs and other top government appointments. When people are appointed, they use magic powers to manipulate the president. There are many things the president wants to do but his hands are tied; he alone cannot do it. You can see that the vice president is just floating about; he is not given any power. If the president is travelling, he doesn’t allow him to act.

Many people are of the view that Christian leaders have failed in their responsibility to protect Christians in Nigeria, with particular reference to what happened to the Adamawa CAN chairman? Do you share that view?

Christian leaders cannot fail them because they are not sincere. Some of them have been compromised because of brown envelopes. They are not sincere; if Christians are sincere, it was Christians in America that made Donald Trump the US president. If Christians are sincere, you can’t joke with them, whether CAN or Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), if we come together as a team. The government needs us. You can’t be killing us like rats; enough is enough. Tell the president that enough is enough; they must not kill any Christian again. If they dare it, God told me that angels are getting set and the blood of those they killed will rise. Dry bones will rise.

What other message do you have for Nigerians?

Nigerians should rejoice because time is coming when Nigeria will be like America. God will raise a leader and when that happens, things will change for better. There will be peace, harmony and total cleansing.

How long would that be?

Anytime from now; I told you that the dead are rising.

Recently, President Buhari was alleged to have said that more Muslims than Christians are being killed, warning that people should not inject religious meaning into the killing; do you agree with him?

That is to show you that Buhari is not in charge. If he is in charge, he knows the right thing. Some of these killers are not even Nigerians; they are foreigners and the president allowed them to come in. They have taken over everywhere, killing and kidnapping people everywhere. We must not fold our arms; this is the time for us to act.

Some people in the North are saying that the formation of Amotekun in the South West and plans by the South East, South-South and North Central zones to launch their own soon amounts to gradual disintegration of the country. Do you believe that?

If you want the country to be one, then, security must be perfect. Well, let the South West start with the Amotekun first because they must protect their people.

Does it mean you don’t see any threat of disintegration to the corporate existence of the country?

In future, we will not have only one Nigeria. Buhari does not want Nigeria to disintegrate in his time. He wants Nigeria to be one during his time.

If he wants Nigeria to be one, what can you say about his penchant for appointing people from the Muslim North to most sensitive positions in the country as can be seen today?

Those are the people he trusts because anybody who becomes the president would want his own people to surround him. The only problem is that he overdid it and he doesn’t listen to advice; maybe because of his age. Again, some of our Southern politicians are not playing the real role. They are already planning ahead of 2023 that is still far even when they don’t know whether they will be alive that time. How are they sure that they will be alive in 2023? Are they God?

Has God told you whether the presidency will go back to the South or it will remain in the North in 2023?

Power will remain in the North in 2023. We should not be fooling ourselves. All the money that politicians in the South West are spending in anticipation of winning the 2023 presidency will not go anywhere. Let them sit down and work for their people. The roads are bad and there is no infrastructure anywhere.

What is your take on the recent Okada/Keke ban in Lagos State?

It is long overdue but there must be an alternative. Lagos State governor should listen to advice because more crises are coming.

Where are these more crises coming from?

Many things will happen in Lagos State. It is not only banning Okada and Keke; there are other things the governor has to do. He must create an environment where things will be better for people. There will be famine.

Famine in Lagos or where?

Generally

This year or next?

Years ago, I said people would be selling their children because of food. Has it not been happening? God told me that APC will win in Ekiti, it happened. He also told me that APC will win in Osun and it came to pass. God also told me that Obiano will emerge victorious in Anambra; I said it and it happened. People should go to Anambra and see what Obiano is doing there. The man is doing a lot of fantastic work because the church backed him; that is how Nigeria should be.

Ahead of the election in Edo State, has God told you anything concerning that, especially with the fight between the APC national chairman, Oshiomhole and the governor, Godwin Obaseki?

Oshiomhole should come down; all these braggadocio will not take him anywhere. What I am seeing is that political assassination will be so rampant in Edo State and people should watch.

In 2023, are we expecting a new political party to take over the government at the centre or is it just going to be another epic battle between the PDP and APC?

A new party will emerge; APC and PDP will fizzle out before 2023 because a new dawn is coming. God will raise people whose names have not been heard before in this country and they will raise the banner of this country. Truth will come out.

What message do you have for politicians in Nigeria?

They should remember that there is God and they are going to give account of their activities on earth. When I was saying that Atiku should support Aminu Tabuwal for the presidency, nobody listened to me. If Atiku had supported Tambuwal, the election would have favoured the PDP.

And for Nigerians, what should we do?

Nigerians should rejoice because we have been under oppression but God is going to lift us up. God is going to fight our cause. Tell the president to remember that he is a Nigerian and he should behave well from now because the judgement of God is coming. We have not seen killing; he should know that more troubles and calamities are coming.

In what form?

In different forms; another dimension of kidnapping is coming and journalists have to be very careful. They should not play double game or fall into trouble because of money; corruption. It is corruption that is going to wreck this government. I saw a lot of bereavements in the National Assembly. Members of the National Assembly have to be firm and say the truth. They should advise the president in the right way and the president has to listen. The Sultan of Sokoto, the Oba of Benin, the Oni of Ife, the Obi of Onitsha and other traditional rulers have a serious role to play now. They should advise Buhari not to set this country ablaze.(Daily Sun)

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