Pastor Gabriel Olalekan Popoola (Living Faith Church), who used to be University of Port Harcourt Students’ Union Leader, explains why an alternative to the current leader of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, is a must come 2015.

In his article published by SaharaReporters the pastor defends General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), says the former military ruler is neither a religious fundamentalist nor an ethnic jingoist.

Read the excerpts of the opinion piece below:

The PDP, the party that currently controls the center, and by extension our national wealth, is fighting tooth and nail to ensure it does not lose its hold on power.

In doing so, the party is employing ethnicity and religion as tools of mind control in order to ensure victory, even when it is clear that the party and the crop of leaders it produced in 2011 have remained incapable of delivering democratic dividends to millions of Nigerians who voted them into power.

The electricity catastrophe in the nation
In May, 2010, when President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office, he promised that his priority would be to confront Nigeria’s age long electricity conundrum. On August 26 of the same year, the President came out with his elaborate power sector roadmap and assured Nigerians that noticeable improvements would be achieved in power supply across the nation.

In 2013, about three years after he assumed office, power generation, according to Prof. Chinedu Nebo, the Minister of Power, dropped from 4,350MW to 2,628.4MW. As of today, power outages have become the norm rather than the exception in most parts of the country, and uninterrupted power supply has turned into a mere wishful thinking of most city dwellers across the country.

Bear in mind that this situation is despite billions of naira that has been spent, and still being spent, by this administration in this sector, including the recently (September, 2014?) approved N213, 000,000,000.00 (two hundred and thirteen billion naira) facility as bailout for the power sector. You are compelled to ask: just where is the money going to? And this is just one of the many sectors that are receiving billions for resuscitation, but which have remained comatose.

I consider Mr. President a good man
I find it rather strange that some Nigerians don’t see any reason to ask important questions as long as their own slices of bread are buttered; or, as long as the President is their ethnic son or brother. The other day, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) (whatever that really means) were practically falling over one another, in frenzy, trying to publicize all the transformational strides of this administration. Everything was as jocular as it was ridiculous. I think a leader that can’t give me an item that he promised me, even when all the resources – human and financial – are readily within his reach, is not worth being given another four years.

Don’t misunderstand me, I consider Mr. President a good man. His humble disposition when he was being pummeled by late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s men has not been forgotten. However, being a good man does not make him a good president. He appears totally overwhelmed by the enormous responsibilities of his office, such that delivering on his promises has become a difficult thing.

In this situation, looking for an alternative to President Goodluck Jonathan becomes obligatory.

General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) and lies about him
The first lie being bandied about is the notion that GMB is not acceptable to the electorates, outside of the northern states where he commands a cult-like followership. The impression that voters, across South-West, South-East and South-South states will find him repulsive, being an ethnic jingoist is nothing but a dirty lie. I am Yoruba, and if GMB stands for election today, I’ll vote for him. And I know in person a couple of individuals from other parts of this country that hold this view. Yes, I know he is Hausa, and yes, I know he is Fulani. You may disagree with me on this, but this remains my conviction, until that time when a more credible person than him emerges. Ethnic chauvinism therefore becomes the last consideration when choosing my leader.

The second lie is that GMB is a religious fundamentalist and that as a Muslim, Christians in Nigeria will not vote for him. I need to confess here that the PDP, to an extent, has recorded some measure of success with this divisive tool. The reality however, is that there is nothing to suggest that if GMB becomes Nigeria’s president tomorrow, Christians will run out of the country. Nothing suggests or supports that. He might not be a Christian, but he possesses what we need in a genuine leader at this point in our national life.

God loves Christians and non-Christians alike
Let us, even for a moment, assume that we – from the point of view of the Holy Scriptures, the Bible – subject GMB to a critical analysis and then come to the conclusion that he does not know God, that he is not born again, and that he is not a Christian; does that mean he is not qualified to be used by God for God’s purpose? I dare say that he is still qualified to be used by God to achieve His own purpose. I will expatiate on this point shortly.

You see, we need to understand that God does not employ human sentiments and religious bigotry in executing His own plans here on earth. And God is still actively busy in His world, whether one believes this or not. His standards are unique and sure in all circumstances. He loves Christians and non-Christians alike. His love does not discriminate. That is the truth of the Holy Scriptures.

It is unfortunate that those who should propagate this distinctive and distinguishing disposition of God – His love for all men, and help to deepen our peace in the nation, are the ones helping to fritter away what little harmony that the nation currently enjoys. It is not right to utilize cheap religiosity to hoodwink gullible and unsuspecting souls, and make slaves out of them.

Unfortunately, this is what those opposed to GMB’s ambition are currently doing; trying to portray GMB as a dangerous religious zealot, a hater of Christians, and a plague that should be avoided by those who profess Christianity. But this approach by the PDP – the wielding of religious swords to further divide a nation that is already on the precipice – is not only failing, it is equally falling apart.

In the Bible, when God led and dealt with the Israelites, the enterprise of leadership was a very important thing to Him, and He used several persons to bring about the realisation of His purpose per time. One of those used was the King called Cyrus, a man who had nothing to do with the Covenant God made with Israel. In the Book of Isaiah 45: 1-5 (GNB), we read:

Isa 45:1 The LORD has chosen Cyrus to be king. He has appointed him to conquer nations; he sends him to strip kings of their power; the LORD will open the gates of cities for him. To Cyrus the LORD says.





Isa 45:2 I myself will prepare your way, leveling mountains and hills. I will break down bronze gates and smash their iron bars.

Isa 45:3 I will give you treasures from dark, secret places; then you will know that I am the LORD and that the God of Israel has called you by name.

Isa 45:4 I appoint you to help my servant Israel, the people that I have chosen. I have given you great honor, although you do not know me. (Emphasis mine).

Isa 45:5 I am the LORD; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know me. (Emphasis mine).

Please observe that in verses 4 and 5, God specifically mentioned that King Cyrus did not know Him; meaning that he was not an Israelite (and if we stretch this further, it would mean he was not a Christian). Yet, God, the Supreme One, made use of King Cyrus to achieve His predetermined aim. Now, has God told anyone that He is not interested in using GMB to halt our nation’s free fall into decay?

those opposed to Buhari's religious bigotry are not necessarily Christians.
They are simply Nigerians who want to preserve and extend our religious freedoms and secularity.
For APC to come out campaigning for Buhari under the cloak of christianity shows how out of touch and misguided these j-weeds really are.

I am a moslim,
a moderate moslim and
I SAI NO TO BUHARI!

@tit today u are a muslim
I have nothing against Gej personally
I remain loyal to him as d cinc
But he has failed to ensure the welfare of our arm forces are protected
He has allowed corruption to flourish
He has turn blind eye to extortion n abuse of power
He has failed us
Since the civil war n the ecomog .we have nevered exprience massive KIA n MIA among troops

Ibnsultan:
@tit today u are a muslim
I have nothing against Gej personally
I remain loyal to him as d cinc
But he has failed to ensure the welfare of our arm forces are protected
He has allowed corruption to flourish
He has turn blind eye to extortion n abuse of power
He has failed us
Since the civil war n the ecomog .we have nevered exprience massive KIA n MIA among troops

you are not in the armed services.
Jonathan is not your C-in-C.

tit:
those opposed to Buhari's religious bigotry are not necessarily Christians.
They are simply Nigerians who want to preserve and extend our religious freedoms and secularity.
For APC to come out campaigning for Buhari under the cloak of christianity shows how out of touch and misguided these j-weeds really are.

I am a moslim,
a moderate moslim and
I SAI NO TO BUHARI!

well, I'm a christian, and I say 'YES to BUHARI'..

Her type are the ones mentioned by the pastor in his submission.

She's a moslim who doesn't know the right spelling of the religion she profess.

It is popularly spelled muslim or spelt as Moslem and not moslim please.

She's a moslim indeed

I am a Muslim and i say no to Buhari.

He only ended up telling us why he will not vote Jonathan, he didn't tell us why he will vote Buhari

bombay:
I am a Muslim and i say no to Buhari.

bombay: Yoruba and Northerner collabo will not succeed in jesus name somebody shout amen


bombay: slave and master use ur mind who is slave and who is master arewa peoples party islamic jihad party of nigeria

bombay: slave and master use ur mind who is slave and who is master arewa peoples party islamic jihad party of nigeria

I'm sure your branch of muslim is the branch of shekau and ISIS.

Insha Allah we will kill you Boko Haram boys all. All of you who masquerade as Muslims and kill innocent souls.

Islam has better worshippers than you who doesn't know who or what he is.

pendy79:
Her type are the ones mentioned by the pastor in his submission.

She's a moslim who doesn't know the right spelling of the religion she profess.

It is popularly spelled muslim or spelt as Moslem and not moslim please.

She's a moslim indeed

i am glad you pointed out there is more than one way to spell the word describing a follower of Mohammed (SAW).
Peace Be Upon You.

tit:


i am glad you pointed out there is more than one way to spell the word describing a follower of Mohammed (SAW).
Peace Be Upon You.

Sorry of all the known spellings, moslim as written by you is not used by muslims except your own followership is that of Yusuf Mohammed or Mohammed Shekau

tit:
those opposed to Buhari's religious bigotry are not necessarily Christians.
They are simply Nigerians who want to preserve and extend our religious freedoms and secularity.
For APC to come out campaigning for Buhari under the cloak of christianity shows how out of touch and misguided these j-weeds really are.

I am a moslim,
a moderate moslim and
I SAI NO TO BUHARI!

Bros u are not a Muslim, u are deceiving itself. Muslims will never write "Muslim" as u Hv written above. It is written "Muslims"

tit:
those opposed to Buhari's religious bigotry are not necessarily Christians.
They are simply Nigerians who want to preserve and extend our religious freedoms and secularity.
For APC to come out campaigning for Buhari under the cloak of christianity shows how out of touch and misguided these j-weeds really are.

I am a moslim,
a moderate moslim and
I SAI NO TO BUHARI!

Bros u are not a Muslim, u are deceiving itself. Muslims will never write "Moslims" as u Hv written above. It is written "Muslims"

Am Alhaji Pastor Oluwo and I say YES to BUHARI




Sai Buhari2015

walahi, No shaking.




KICking out all the cluelessness is a job that must be done by everybody, either Muslim, Christian or Babalawo

tit:


you are not in the armed services.
Jonathan is not your C-in-C.

You know Gej doesn't deserve another term

Ibnsultan:

You know Gej doesn't deserve another term

yes. na you deserve am.

tit:
those opposed to Buhari's religious bigotry are not necessarily Christians.
They are simply Nigerians who want to preserve and extend our religious freedoms and secularity.
For APC to come out campaigning for Buhari under the cloak of christianity shows how out of touch and misguided these j-weeds really are.

I am a moslim,
a moderate moslim and
I SAI NO TO BUHARI!

u are not a muslim for obvious reasons