Poju Oyemade: Political leaders promoting disunity — but Nigeria will not break up

Poju Oyemade, senior pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, says Nigeria will not break up.

He said some political leaders who want power are behind the calls for secession.

Speaking on Sunday at the Covenant Place, Lagos, Oyemade said contrary to the opinion of some people, Nigeria will not break up.

He said the intercessions for Nigeria are enough to avert any impending doom.

“Let me just tell you, this country is not breaking. The reason is that before God does anything in a nation, He calls His people. Even if they have done wrong and He wants to judge them, if He finds intercessors, he will look away from the judgment and correct it without bringing judgment,” he said.

He said some political leaders are using ethnicity to divide the country and calling for secession as a means to gain power and money.

He asked Nigerians not to allow themselves be used as a tool to break up the country.

“There are many people that are shouting, ‘Destroy! Destroy!’ and using ethnicity to divide this country. Let me tell you, in this same country, from 1969 to 1975, the head of state, General Gowon, was a Christian. The number two man, Admiral Wey, was a Christian. The chief of army staff was a Christian. Nobody shouted,” he said.

“Nigeria was not always like this. The freest and fairest democratic election to date in Nigeria was won by a Muslim presidential candidate and a Muslim vice presidential candidate, and they won Christian states. What suddenly happened to Nigeria? Some political leaders felt the best way to control people, to access money and power was to put wedges between people. So they began to play up the differences between people. It is a political strategy to control the people.

“But when they are sharing money, there is no tribe or religion; they are sharing it behind. So wake up. Don’t let anybody use your head to break anything because when the thing starts, they will be at Murtala Muhammed Airport and before you know it, they will be tweeting at you from London while you will be on the run.

“Don’t start following people who are saying, ‘We will destroy’ because you don’t know what people are cleaning out. This country was established as a business and people have been making money.”