Publisher of Ovation International Magazine and presidential aspirant in the 2023 general elections, Dele Momodu, on Saturday, condemned the setting up of a ‘political department’ by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), saying the church’s involvement in politics is an “invitation to Armageddon.”
Momodu was reacting to a leaked memo from the church which alluded to the fact that it had created a political department to be known as “Office of Directorate of Politics and Governance.”
The leaked memo dated February 28, 2022, and addressed to all regions, provinces, zones and other levels of the church around the country, had stated that the Directorate was created for political education of its members.
It also stated that the new office is “to help mobilize support for them (RCCG members in politics) when required.”
However, many political observers believed the newly created department was to give an undue advantage to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is being rumoured to be interested in the Presidency by secretly mobilising members to vote for him.
Although the church had cleared the air in a statement on Friday that the Directorate of Politics and Governance has nothing to do with Osinbajo’s political ambition, Momodu, in a statement, warned the church’s hierachy to steer clear of mixing religion and politics as it will not augur well with the church.
In the statement posted on his Facebook page entitled “My Kobo advice to Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG),” the veteran journalist, who said he is also a member of the church, argued that “establishing a political arm of our Church was nothing but an invitation to Armageddon.”
He also posited that “there are no guarantees that being a church Pastor or otherwise would make you a competent and truthfully honest leader.”