The Assistant General Overseer (Admin & Personnel) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Johnson Odesola has clarified the controversial memo he sent to parishes of the churches.
In a statement made available to Church Times on March 12, Odesola said there is nowhere in the memo the church stated it was going to support a particular candidate.
Some of those who read the memo had insinuated that the church was preparing the grounds to support Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential ambition.
But Odesola in his explanation says the operative words in the memo are that the directorate “would help coordinate the engagement of our people who are willing to be involved in politics as well as mobilise support for them”.
He stated that the church is aware its members belong to several political parties and therefore would not root for any candidate.
Odesola explains, “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.
“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.”
He said further that RCCG is not doing anything different from some other denominations such as the Catholic Church which has been keeping its members abreast with politics.
He assured that RCCG would not promote any particular candidate since it is aware that members are in different political parties.
The RCCG pastor added that “RCCG will continue to offer spiritual and moral support to its members through prayers, encouragement, exhortation, counseling, and moral instructions as would be expected from an organisation which on record is fully conscious of its Christian Social Responsibility.”
