The Redeemed Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has explained the reason it created the directorate of politics and governance.
In a memo, which went viral last week, the Assistant General Overseer (Admin and Personnel) of the church, Pastor J. F. Odesola, communicated the development to all pastors in charge of regions and provinces of the church.
“The essence of this directorate is to help coordinate the engagement of our people who are willing to be involved in politics as well as mobilise support for them when required,” the memo read in part.
The Nigerian media promptly interpreted that as the the RCCG nurturing the undeclared intention of its pastor and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to contest the 2023 presidential election.
The National Daily also reported how PDP’s presidential aspirant Dele Momodu lashed out at the decision.
But in a statement, the church debunked the news that RCCG is creating a soft ground for Osinbajo.
“The attention of the Assistant General Overseer (Admin & Personnel) Regarding the internal instrument to Directorate of Politics and Governance in The Redeemed Redeemed Christian Church of God that someone in sincere ignorance has drop into the media which has been drawn to reactions in the public to the function of the Directorate.”
It is important to highlight that the operative words are: ‘…help coordinate the engagement of our people who are willing to be involved in politics as well as mobilise support for them’.
“We wish to state that: 1. Nowhere in the statement is it mentioned nor insinuated that a particular political aspirant is being referred to. As would be expected the Church has members that belong to several political parties, but would not itself get into partisan issues.
“2. As a big and dynamic church, RCCG considers herself one of the nation’s stakeholders and the work of the directorate is in direct response to the advisory of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to support our members on effective and efficient voter education and the discharge of their related civic rights and obligations.
“3. As a big and dynamic church, RCCG considers it necessary to respond to the growing interest of its members in politics and governance by ensuring that their standing as law abiding citizens in all spheres of life is neither compromised nor fall below the standard expected of followers of Christ.
“4. RCCG by this is not doing anything new or different from some other denominations such as the Catholic Church or other religious bodies who bring its members up to date with policies, laws and regulations regarding their polity and its governance.