Posted by By OLA AGBAJE on
A serious warning has gone to Nigerians to steer clear of the raging battle within the national political leadership, as the conflict is manifestation of God's plan for the nation.
A serious warning has gone to Nigerians to steer clear of the raging battle within the national political leadership, as the conflict is manifestation of God's plan for the nation.
Presiding pastor of The Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, gave the warning in a special Independence anniversary message to the nation on Sunday.
Speaking on the topic "If the Truth Must Be Told," the cleric posited that it was divinely ordained that former President Ibrahim Babangida, incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar would fight to destroy themselves for the nation to move forward.
He said Nigerians should not be surprised about the exposure of corruption in high places as he likened the gladiators to partners in crime against the nation.
"A word of caution to our people. They should not take sides or join in the battle that is going on. He who digs a pit will fall into it. Your accomplice in crime might double cross you.
"By the exposure that is going on, viper's eggs are being hatched while spider's web is being woven deliberately to make the nation ungovernable so that we will have no choice but ask them to continue until October 2007," he said.
Revealing a chilling prophetic vision, Bakare said: "Neither Buhari nor IBB nor Obasanjo nor Atiku will be part of the new Nigeria. They are part of the old that has decayed and is still decaying. The new is coming forth. It is the counsel of the Lord that shall stand in this nation. Until the sons of turmoil destroy themselves, this nation will not know peace."
The preacher described the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a basket of serpents and scorpions and insisted that the people must wrest power from them through peaceful and proper transition.
He alerted the nation to what he described as "the contraption of evil" that is going on in high places and warned the president to always watch his back as those who killed M. K. O. Abiola were still around.
"The same people who balanced the equation that if Abacha is dead, M. K. O. Abiola must follow suit are still around. Whoever tells you M. K. O. died a natural death has lied. They contrived his cold murder.
"When Abacha died, Abiola was still in prison and IBB for the first time since he left power for his fortress in Minna came to Abeokuta to see the current president. He came to greet him and came to offer him the package of the elders of the north and at the same time, to present it (offer to be president in 1999) to the then General Obasanjo.
And he (Obasanjo) replied him: ‘I have been head of state. I have been prisoner, there is nothing else to be in my nation. Number one, I don't have the money to run for an election. Number two, M. K. O. the man who won the election is still in prison. What would I tell my people?' He was assured. Read between the lines and lies. Shortly thereafter, M. K. O became history."
In graphic presentation, Bakare drew the attention of the congregation to the recurrence of Babangida's name in the past political maneuvering and pointed out that the former military president was still very much loaded with tricks.
"Don't forget his code name in the PDP registration is 007. You are about to see the greatest theatrical performance in the history of politics in Nigeria," he said.
Bakare noted that those who said Obasanjo was the most acceptable candidate to all the segments of the country would soon do the same in respect of Babangida.
He said nothing on ground at the moment could stop Babangida, except God, regretting, however, that the current political gladiator could not take Nigeria to the promised land.
Pastor Bakare recalled that he had alerted the nation on several occasions to the direction God was taking the country.
The fiery preacher said rather than take counsel from the Holy Spirit, President Obasanjo and the other political actors continued with their "contraption of evil."
"Rather than he (Obasanjo) clinging on to God, he is relying on his own understanding. He is looking at his friends and thinking they are his enemies," Bakare said.
According to the pastor, whatever the political actors planned, "it is the immutable counsel of God that shall prevail in Nigeria.
"Don't think God has forgotten Nigeria. In all these accusations and counter accusations and maneuvering, it is the immutability of God's counsel that is our anchor and it will prevail."
Pastor Bakare said God would raise new leaders for the nation, who would rule with the fear of God, fairness and justice and He would heal the land and make it flourish again.