Politics

MESSY SCANDAL ROCKS CHRISTENDOM OVER JONATHAN, BUHARI’S N8BILLION LARGESSE

Published

11 years ago

February 23, 2015

The pastor Ayo Oritsejafor led Christian Association of Nigeria is in a deep mess. And this is not unconnected to the over N8 billion largesse purportedly gotten from the two leading presidential candidates of PDP and APC, President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Insiders informed us that since allegations and counter allegations have been flying here and there that some top pastors pocketed N7billion from President Jonathan and that some northern clergy equally picked money close to N1billion from Gen. Buhari for endorsement in the forthcoming election, the organisation called CAN has been polarised into three factions. One faction belonging to Bishop Oyedepo is allegedly spearheading the Jonathan’s endorsement on behalf on Bishop Oritsejafor while some top pastors from the the Redeemed Christian Church of God are rooting for Buhari. The their group belongs to the revered pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye whose body language is for both parties.

It would be recalled that more facts emerged on the allegation by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, that President Goodluck Jonathan gave pastors across the country N6bn to vote against the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), in the presidential election.

A Borno-based Pastor, Kallamu Musa-Dikwa, who spilled the beans on Thursday, February 19,2015 claimed that the money that was given to pastors by the President was actually N7bn and not N6bn as alleged by Amaechi, who doubles as the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation.

Amaechi had alleged that unnamed leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party paid N6bn to Christian clerics to campaign against Buhari and the APC.

The governor’s allegation caused a stir among the Christian clerics, with the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Northern State Christian Elders Forum asking Amaechi to name the church leaders, who collected the huge bribe.

But Musa-Dikwa, who is the Executive Director of the Voice of Northern Christian Movement, told journalists in Kaduna on Thursday that the said money was channelled through the Christian Association of Nigeria.

He said the CAN got the said money(N7bn) on January 26, 2015 and disbursed N3m to each State Chairmen of the CAN across the country.

Musa-Dikwa, who was an Associate Pastor with the E. Y. N. Church, Farm Centre, Dikwa Road, Maiduguri, Borno State, under Rev. Emmanuel Kwajihe between 2002 and 2004, said the CAN had started threatening Christians in the state (Borno) that they must re-elect Jonathan in the rescheduled election.

He said, “It was N7bn that was given to the CAN leadership by President Goodluck Jonathan. They(CAN) later disbursed N3m to the State Chairmen of the CAN.

“The money was handed over to the CAN Leadership on 26th January, 2014.”

“Actually, President Jonathan is using CAN President, and it was the CAN President who collected the monies and shared N3m to the CAN executives in each state.

“And some Pentecostal Bishops also collected their share. Actually, the money is not N6bn, it is N7bn. This is what I know. One of the CAN officials from Abuja told me that they have collected the money. The corruption in CAN is terrible. They are corrupting the body of Christ because of money.

“They are now threatening Christians in Borno State that they will deal with anybody, who refuses to vote for Jonathan. And the CAN officials are now campaigning that if Buhari emerges President, he will Islamise Nigeria; and that Osinbajo collected monies from Islamic world; and that the same Osinbajo will resign soon after Buhari wins to give way for Tinubu to emerge Vice President.”

Musa-Dikwa named some high-profile clerics, who had benefitted from the controversial largesse to actualise the re-election bid of Jonathan.

Meanwhile, a Northern clergy also exposed the APC presidential candidate that he too splashed money on pastors for endorsement.

In an interview with Nigerian Pilot, Pastor Bitrus Yerima, the national president of Gospel Advancement Leadership Initiative and a member the Northern Christian Leaders Eagle-eyes Forum, said that most of the pastors, including himself, who attended the “endorsement meeting” had no prior knowledge of what was to happen at the event.

He said: “Actually, we were told that Gen. Buhari wanted to have an audience with us regarding his presidential aspiration. The idea was that it was going to be an interactive session. I believe this is a sponsored endorsement. Our patrons and leaders are too noble to bring us to this embarrassing situation this way.
“There was no meeting or agreement that suggests that this organisation or all leaders of Christians in the North should come and endorse Gen. Buhari or any other presidential candidates,” he said.

According to him, “whoever came up with this idea, I believe, is speaking his own mind and not that of Northern Christian leaders. What you just witnessed is a fraud. This Forum has no right to take such a decision the way it has taken. Our members comprise of people belonging to different political parties and it is our belief that our members are free to vote for any candidate of their choice,” he said.

Another pastor who sought anonymity told our correspondent that the agenda was dead on arrival.
“The fact is that we were taken unawares by this so-called endorsement. Some of us have invested our integrity in our spiritual assignment that we cannot sell ourselves so cheaply. There are going to be a lot of counter reactions to this embarrassing development after this moment.”

Outside the lobby of the ICC, pastors were sharply divided as they discussed the development and its implications on their integrity and sub-groups in the northern region. A group was overheard expressing its displeasure that they could be invited to such a “shameful programme.”

One of them told newsmen when he was approached that the endorsement was planned. “I am an insider and I know everything that is happening here.”

The cleric stated that he had been in Abuja since the beginning of the week for an important event before a friend who was one of the organisers of the event asked him to wait behind to attend the meeting.
“It was supposed to be an interactive discussion with Gen. Buhari by the pastors to hear from him the grievances of the clerics from the northern part of the country but dramatically, it turned out as an endorsement meeting. Of course, the pastors will collect their welfare packages and go back knowing full well that this is fake,” he said.

Another Jos-based clergyman lamented that he had been dribbled into what he described as a big scam by politicians in the forum who are working for APC.

“Some of us were promised N100,000 each if we come here (Abuja). Later, they said the money had been reduced to figure of N50,000.”

However, what aggravated the anger of the clerics was the way they said they were shabbily treated. “What is so annoying now is that they eventually gave those of us who came from Jos N5,000, and then doled out N3,000 to those within Abuja axis. It is regrettable to have come here at all,” he said.

When Pastor Aminchi was later asked by newsmen to react to the grievances of some of his members, he said that “all the members on our list were sponsored.”

Asked to clarify the contention that the issue of endorsement of Buhari or any other presidential candidate was never discussed in any of their previous meetings and if it was, did the executive council of the Forum send the resolutions to all members, Pastor Aminchi emphatically stated that, “the issue was well discussed and attended.

“We held meetings in Zaria and Kaduna last week. Anyone who has a dissenting voice against what we have just done is definitely not our member,” he said.

In an attempt to give the meeting a wider spread, some of the pastors registered their churches in the states of the North where they are not represented. They also included the names of churches whose leaders were invited but did not attend the meeting.

Among the northern Christian leaders in at the meeting included Pastor Paul Great of Methodist Church, Jos; Bishop Lawrence Awanorwo, New Creation School of Divinity, Niger State; Bishop Daniel Oboni, Christ Life Evangelistic Church, Bauchi State (instead of Jos); Bishop Musa Gomson, Unlimited Mercy and Glory Church, Gombe State (instead of Jos); Apostle (Dr.) Abraham Babe, World Christian Mission, Taraba State (operates in Jos); Paul Zumta, Alheri Baptist Church, Sokoto State; Rev. Sam Adejoh, Life Changer Christian Centre, Yobe (instead of Jos); Rev. Daniel D. Gonzuk, Amazing Grace, Benue State (operates in Jos); Rev. Emmanuel Edesiri, Destiny Path Assembly Int. Nasarawa State (instead of Jos), Rev. (Dr.) Sunday, Divine Latter Times, Borno State (instead of Jos) and others.

Beside Osinbajo, Buhari was accompanied to the meeting by former Chief of Army Staff and Director of Security Committee of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, Prof. Abdullahi and Gen. Paul Tarfa. Both Buhari and Osinbajo were presented copies of the Holy Bible at the meeting.

Politics

Tinubu Is the ‘Surgeon’ Nigeria Needs; Opposition Lacks Courage for 2027 — Ogra

Published

4 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Sahara Weekly

Top Presidential Aide Reveals Why Student Loan Program Is A Game Changer

Tinubu Is the ‘Surgeon’ Nigeria Needs; Opposition Lacks Courage for 2027 — Ogra

ABUJA — Senior Special Assistant to the President, O’tega Ogra, has defended the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing him as a “surgeon” prepared to take difficult but necessary decisions to stabilise Nigeria’s economy, while criticising opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement titled “My thoughts on the APC, President Bola Tinubu’s reforms, and the opposition,” Ogra, popularly known as ‘The Tiger,’ said many opposition leaders lack the political will required to implement tough but beneficial policies.

‘Surgeon vs Bystander’

Drawing a medical analogy, Ogra likened the President’s leadership style to that of a specialist willing to carry out life-saving surgery, while portraying critics as passive observers.

“The difference between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and them is like comparing a surgeon willing to take a difficult but life-saving decision in the operating theatre, and a bystander more concerned with applause than outcome,” he said.

He argued that while the President is willing to endure short-term criticism in pursuit of long-term national stability, the opposition remains driven by populist considerations that could delay meaningful progress.

Structural Reforms Underway

Ogra dismissed claims that the administration’s policies are superficial, insisting they represent fundamental changes aimed at correcting longstanding economic distortions.

He cited developments in the oil and gas sector, including efforts to promote domestic refining and eliminate what he described as fraudulent subsidy regimes, as measures targeted at blocking revenue leakages. He also referenced fiscal reforms designed to boost government revenue and support infrastructure and social investments.

“These decisions are not politically convenient. They demand resolve,” Ogra said, adding that history tends to favour leaders who undertake systemic reforms rather than those who “manage decline.”

Criticism of Opposition

The presidential aide said opposition parties have “a lot to learn” from the internal workings of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing rival groups of failing to present clear and workable policy alternatives.

According to him, criticism in a democracy must be accompanied by substance and conviction.

“Nigeria does not need rehearsed outrage. It needs tested ideas and leaders willing to stand by them when it matters most,” he added.

Outlook on Reforms

While acknowledging that the reforms may take time to fully materialise, Ogra expressed confidence that early signs across key sectors point to a more resilient economy and improved fiscal discipline.

He concluded that leadership is ultimately defined by the ability to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, insisting that such choices are essential for building a strong and stable nation.

https://x.com/i/status/2046479270764011668

Politics

Top Reps Aspirant, Abudu-Balogun Assures Constituents of Inclusive, Progressive Representation

Published

2 days ago

April 19, 2026

Sahara Weekly

Top Reps Aspirant, Abudu-Balogun Assures Constituents of Inclusive, Progressive Representation

It is an incontrovertible fact that Watersiders should GET IT RIGHT this time around by overwhelmingly support this distinguished Watersider, Hon. Abudu-Balogun to emerge as the Candidate of APC for the Federal House of Representative in the 2027 elections.

Apart from being a respected politician among the creme-de-la-creme professionals in politics in Ogun State, and undoubtedly a prominent grassroots politician of Waterside extraction, Hon. Abudu-Balogun has seen it all in National politics that will be of great benefits to the Federal Constituency if eventually elected.

Hmmm! With the emergence of the distinguished Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi) as the consensus Governorship candidate of APC in Ogun State, Waterside agitation for enduring developmental projects and its realisation like Deep Sea Port, assumption of Oil producing LGA via Eba Oil deposits, sustainable Electricity Supply would be a walk-over. This anaysis is predicated upon a scientifically established empirical evidence that Hon Abudu-Balogun is a sustainable Bridge between this Federal Constituency and the Powers that be at Federal level.

He has the competence, he posseses the Capacity, he has the cognate political experience, he has fortified the developmental blueprint, he has worked tirelessly, and earned the link to facilitate the expected developmental projects to this Federal Constituency.

Above all, Hon Abudu-Balogun has concluded political and economic arrangements to galvanise support in all respects from the main actors at the National and sub-national levels in the country for the tasks ahead.

TENI NI TENI. This is the time TIME FOR “ACTION” in the realisation of the enduring Developmental Agenda (that has been eluding us from time immemorial) for the entire Federal Constituency, particularly, our dear Ogun Waterside LGA.

Distinguished Watersiders, particularly, the comrade professional politicians and the astute Professionals in politics, please factcheck this. Hon Abudu-Balogun is a very popular and honoured politician in Ijebu-North LGA, he is cherished and respected professional in politics in Ijebu-East LGA, he is a consistently consistent rare breed politician in Waterside who has the interest of Waterside development at heart.

ACTION needs our support, he needs our endorsement at this political turning point of our dear LGA, the Wealth Side of Ogun State.

Iwe teni, iwe teni, iwe teni o.

Ajuse ri Dede Eni o.

Happy Sunday to us all.

Politics

ADC Unstoppable, Like the Sun — Aregbesola Declares at 8th National Convention

Published

4 days ago

April 17, 2026

Sahara Weekly

ADC Unstoppable, Like the Sun — Aregbesola Declares at 8th National Convention

ABUJA — Former Osun State Governor and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has declared that the party remains “unstoppable,” likening its rise to the inevitability of the sun, despite what he described as attempts by the ruling establishment to weaken opposition forces.

Speaking at the ADC’s 8th National Convention, Aregbesola said the party’s existence is rooted in the will of Nigerians and protected by the constitution, insisting that no political pressure or institutional interference could halt its progress.

“Just as no power can stop the sun from rising, so can the ADC not be stopped,” he told delegates.

Blasts Political System, Accuses Ruling Forces of Undermining Democracy

The ADC leader accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of actions he described as anti-democratic, alleging efforts to frustrate opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

He criticized what he termed the normalization of political “criminality,” arguing that recent political realignments and electoral practices undermine democratic integrity.

According to him, ADC does not owe its existence to any individual or institution but to Nigerians “tired of deceit and mismanagement.”

Harsh Assessment of Economy, Security, and Governance

Aregbesola painted a grim picture of the nation’s condition, citing economic decline, rising inflation, and worsening living standards.

He noted that the naira’s depreciation from about ₦700 to ₦1,400 per dollar reflects what he described as poor economic management, while fuel prices have surged significantly, making daily life difficult for citizens.

On security, he described the current situation as one of the worst in Nigeria’s history, raising concerns about increasing violence and what he called a lack of empathy from leadership in responding to national tragedies.

ADC Positions Itself as Nigeria’s “Rescue Mission”

The former minister said the ADC has, within months, transformed into a major opposition force, claiming it now represents the “hope of the Nigerian people.”

He outlined the party’s rapid structural expansion, ongoing membership drive, and efforts to build alliances with other opposition groups including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Aregbesola emphasized that the party is preparing to challenge the APC in the 2027 general elections through what he described as a “united opposition front.”

Defends Party Leadership Changes, Convention Legitimacy

Providing details of internal restructuring, Aregbesola said the emergence of new leadership, including David Mark as caretaker national chairman, followed due constitutional process and was duly communicated to INEC.

He argued that the commission’s refusal to monitor the convention violates provisions of the Electoral Act, insisting that ADC fulfilled all legal requirements.

Alleges Persecution of Opposition Figures

The ADC leader further accused the government of using state institutions such as anti-corruption agencies and security services to intimidate opposition politicians.

He cited cases involving figures like Nasir El-Rufai and Aminu Tambuwal, describing the trend as a dangerous signal for democracy.

Calls for United Front Ahead of 2027

Aregbesola concluded with a rallying call for Nigerians to support the ADC’s mission to restore “freedom, security, and prosperity,” warning against political apathy.

“A democracy without opposition is an autocracy,” he said, urging citizens to reject what he termed any attempt at political “coronation.”

Closing Note

The convention, themed “So that Nigeria will work for Freedom, Security and Prosperity,” brought together party delegates and stakeholders, marking a significant step in ADC’s preparations for the 2027 elections.