The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has denied setting up its directorate of politics and governance to support the purported 2023 presidential ambition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Apart from Osinbajo who is a pastor of the RCCG, the church also denied setting up the directorate to directly support the 2023 ambition of any church member.
The RCCG Head of Media and Public Relations, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi made the clarification on Friday.
Tracknews recalls RCCG created the directorate for politics and governance ahead of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria and stated that the newly-created directorate is to coordinate the affairs and activities of members interested in seeking political offices in 2023.
The RCCG also announced the appointment of Pastor Timothy Olaniyan, a Pastor in Charge of Province (PICP) Lagos Province 12 as the head of the directorate and directed the pastors at regional, state, zonal, and all other levels to appoint officials to coordinate the new directorate at such levels.
The news about the establishment of the new directorate was made public in a memo with reference number RCCG/AGO/ADM/AA.MEMO/20/01/2022, and dated February 28, which was signed by the Assistant General Overseer (Admin/Personnel) Pastor J. F. Odesola.
But there had been insinuations that the setup was to coordinate and ensure block votings for Osinbajo’s 2023 presidential ambition.
Responding to the insinuations, Pastor Olubiyi told Punch that the aim of the directorate is to sensitize and encourage members of the church to actively participate in politics including getting their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Olubiyi added that it’s not a new practice in the church and wondered why the move is now been linked to Osinbajo.
He charged that Christians generally should not shy away from politics.
The RCCG spokesman said, “There is nothing connecting Osinbajo with the directorate; RCCG has been mobilising, creating political awareness long since transition from military to civil rule. RCCG has made it a policy to educate its members on political education – get voter cards, no violence.
“The directorate has nothing to do with Osinbajo or anybody. I don’t know why people are linking something the church has been doing which every organization should be doing to him.”
