Examining Umahi’s prophecy about Tinubu’s 8-year reign

The minister of works, who was once the governor of Ebonyi state, has recently said he has also been called as a pastor and prophet. This is demonstrated by his first ‘divine’ revelation and declarative statement, which are signs of the great spiritual significance of a prophet, even if it is a politician as a prophet.

Umahi, claiming that he has heard from God as a divine vessel, said: “You called me a pastor, but I am also a prophet. You must understand that Mr. President’s arrival is a divine act and that God always brings things to completion. Since this administration is a product of God and you can witness the wonders that Mr. President is performing to make up for all the wrongs, I firmly believe and am convinced to inform you that God has told me that this administration will last eight years.” He made this declaration on a Channel television programme.

Anyone can be called by God. In the New Testament, Saul—the arch-persecutor of Christians—had a heavenly encounter that resulted in his transformation into the Apostle Paul. It is therefore dangerous to cast doubt on Dave Umahi’s claim. Who knows? He might be yet another Saul. All that can be said for him is that he should understand that God cannot be mocked, even though politicians now play God and tend to get away with it. The third of the Ten Commandments states that… Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11 read: Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Politicians, beware!

Nevertheless, whether or not God deemed Umahi a prophet, his assertion has profound spiritual and political ramifications worthy of further interrogation. Even though his revelation might only be the result of his subjective distress, it is all the same significant since he has taken a stand by telling everyone about it as true and divine.

Therefore, the veracity of Umahi’s claim is not the aim of this treatise. Only God knows whether Umahi is telling the truth or not and his recompense. As humans, however, Nigerians have the right to doubt the validity of Dave’s claim that he heard from God and that God told him Tinubu would rule for eight years.

Only about a year has passed since Tinubu became president of Nigeria, and God has now sent Prophet Dave Umahi to forewarn Nigerians to prepare for the second term, which would end by effluence only in 2031 for those who may still be living. This is indeed huge.

It is crucial to think about how Tinubu’s two terms as president would benefit Nigeria and Nigerians. Both the ease of doing business and the cost of living have more than tripled in less than one year of the Tinubu presidency. Umahi calls the deteriorating economic conditions and growing insecurity miracles. Not a single kilometre of the concrete roads Umahi promised Nigerians that would last for more than fifty years has been completed. Umahi oversees Nigeria’s roadways, which are still kidnapper havens and death traps due to their deplorable state. This indicates that under Tinubu, the country’s level of insecurity and infrastructure decay are not improving. The same thing goes for corruption and the battered economy.

Generally speaking, and Prophet Umahi should be reminded, the Holy Book has two things to say about a people’s or nation’s leadership: 1) The people rejoice when the righteous rules; 2) God gives a people wicked rulers when He wishes to chastise them. It’s unclear which of these two that prophets Dave Umahi is projecting for the future of Nigerians over the next eight years.

Although the Tinubu presidency has gained momentum, it has not yet recorded good results to warrant Umahi’s prophecy. Tinubu is battling to recover from the numerous false starts his presidency has caused. His two main economic policies—removing fuel subsidy and floating the naira—have severely damaged the economy and, if nothing is done, may get worse.

Unless Umahi is arguing that Nigerians are too powerless to decide since the country has been completely conquered, in which case his crystal ball indicates that Tinubu will remain in office until 2031, regardless of what Nigerians want. He is partly right because here in Africa, democracy is largely without elections, and Nigeria is leading the pack in this despicable desecration of democracy.

Rather than focusing on performance and deliverables, Umahi wants to cajole Nigerians to accept Tinubu’s presidency until 2031 whether or not he deserves it. That will be cold-blooded. Building the future that Tinubu has envisioned in his manifesto and how he would do so should be apparent to ordinary citizens, and that’s what should make them crave his continuation until 2031. But such is not what Umahi’s prophecy is talking about.

Without any supporting evidence, Umahi’s prophecy sounds more like a warning to Nigerians that their country has been taken over and that power will be donated back to Tinubu in 2027 by the elites’ plot rather than by popular vote. Truly, a strong opposition is absent, a reliable electoral commission, and a robust political and democratic culture, such as the recent election of 44-year-old opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye as president by the Senegalese, Umahi’s prediction rather than prophecy may well come to pass. Rightly or wrongly, Umahi may see the opposition to be too disorganised and incoherent to pose any threat to the return of Tinubu.

Prophecy, in the truest sense of the word, is no longer obtainable in Nigeria. It’s like clowns have taken over. Like Chukwuemeka Cyril Ohanaemere, predominantly known as Odùméje, who is a general overseer of The Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry. Here is another prophet of God who would have done better as a musician or a stand-up comedian. Typical of Nigerian so-called men of God, Odumeje said he used his power, Abido Shaker, to crash the dollar.

Tinubu may run and win again in 2027, but it is not a given or a good idea to rely on a victory that will happen regardless of his performance—which no one is seeing right now but might in the future. It brings to mind the claim, “Not even God can sink the Titanic.” Many people have been credited with saying that line, including principal designer Thomas Andrews. It is generally believed that of the ship’s approximately 2,200 passengers and crew members, some 1,500 people perished when the ship sank, despite the assurances.

Reelection for Tinubu should depend on how well he performs. The truth is that Tinubu would need a miracle to win a free and fair election if held today because of the unprecedented hardship his policies have unleashed on Nigerians. His economic strategies have been utterly ineffective and destructive. The growing ungoverned space, the deteriorating levels of corruption, and the growing insecurity are not reelection credentials in a normal situation.

The Nigerian economy and living conditions are in a state of flux. Yet, Umahi’s crystal ball only revealed such dire situations as Tinubu’s miracles, to use Prophet Dave Umahi’s words. It doesn’t add up unless he and other leaders are living in a different Nigeria.

Time shall tell.

Law Mefor, an Abuja-based forensic and social psychologist, is a fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought. He can be reached via [email protected]; Twitter: @Drlawsonmefor