But Mbaka backed Jonathan only in November…

Ejike Mbaka, a reverend father and spiritual director of the Adoration Ministries Enugu (AMEN), took many by surprise with the sermon he delivered at his ministry on the first day of a crucial year in the history of Nigeria.

In about 40 days, Nigerians would be heading to the poll to elect the leader who would preside over the affairs of the country for the next four years. And Mbaka, the most popular priest in the south-east, dealt a devastating blow on President Goodluck Jonathan by asking him to step down for Muhammadu Buhari, his major opponent.

In the video of the sermon, which has now gone viral, Mbaka decried the current state of the nation, saying the country deserves change.

“The continuity of Jonathan means disaster to Nigeria,” he said.

“I love President Goodluck Jonathan and I used to be his ardent fan, but I want good for my people and that’s why I want Nigerians to vote out Goodluck Jonathan and vote General Muhammad Buhari.

“I don’t care if Buhari is a Muslim and from the North; all I care about is that Buhari can save Nigeria.

“Jonathan has ruled for six years .We need change. NEPA is not working because of corruption. The privatisation of public companies has not yielded any fruit because of corruption.

“Look at our federal roads, we are not even asking for new ones, roads built by Buhari and Babangidas –  the so called Hausa people – cannot be maintained. Follow Enugu here to Onitsha, children born some years ago do not know that there was a lane along the other side of Isiagwu and we are all saying continue.

“Jonathan surrounded himself with very corrupt officers who advise him. Nigerians are sick and tired of wasting innocent lives without government doing enough to stop the destruction. Up till now, nobody knows the whereabouts of the innocent Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram and we say we have a government that cannot guarantee the welfare, safety and security of the citizens.”

Surprisingly, the charismatic preacher was in full support of the president during the 2014 edition of the thanksgiving and bazaar of AMEN.

At the programme, which held in November, First Lady Patience Jonathan was the special guest and Mbaka spoke of the president in glowing terms.

He commended the first lady, assuring her of the support of the ministry in the forthcoming election.

“You and your husband have done well even in the midst of distractions,” he said.

“They are distracting you so that you do not achieve much. You have done well with all these distractions, what if there were no distractions?

“We have been praying for your husband because we want him to go back. Even if you don’t come here, we keep praying for him because the first one we did, you were not here.

“We are not sycophantic. So go ahead, go with the consolation of the holy spirit. The anointing of the Lord says God will make your family great.”

Singing a different tune from the present, Mbaka had then absolved Jonathan of the inability of the government to secure the release of the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014.

“Jonathan must bring back the Chibok girls. Is Jonathan holding them?” he queried?

“Are they living in your house? Anybody positioning the concept of Jonathan must bring back the Chibok girls, such people are holding the girls; they should release them, not Jonathan. Jonathan is not a kidnapper.”

Responding, the first lady, who led a Bible reading from Genesis 12: 2-3, expressed appreciation to the priest.

“I am encouraged by this spiritual intervention of the clergy today, to bring our people and country to the path of peace and unity at this time that we are facing security challenges,” she said.

In his latest outburst, Mbaka categorically said Jonathan was going nowhere as far as the election was concerned.

He alleged that out of the four birds he released during the visit of the first lady, the healthiest refused to fly. This bird, he said, represented Jonathan.

“All the other birds I released flew away but the healthiest of them, which is Jonathan’s bird, could not fly,” he said.

“I tried to make it fly but it could not fly.”

Mbaka is known for courting controversy. In 2011, he led a campaign against Ikedi Ohakim, the then governor of Imo state, who was seeking reelection.

He even composed a song against Ohakim, which was rendered at his crusades and at church gatherings.

He asked his followers not to vote Ohakim for assaulting Eustace Okorie, a reverend father. Ohakim subsequently lost the election.

However, in 2014, Mbaka recanted, saying Okorie confessed to him that nothing of such ever happened.