The General Overseer of Household of God Church, Rev. Chris Okotie, on Sunday said that were it not Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s “false” prophecy to former President Goodluck Jonathan, the latter (Jonathan) would not have contested the 2015 presidential election.
He said that the former President had initially made up his mind not to vie for the election, but stated that Oritsejafor “deceived” him with tales of victory as prophesied unto him by God.
Oritsejafor is the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Okotie, who said this while delivering a sermon in his church on Sunday in Lagos, said, “Pastor Oritsejafor deceived Jonathan with a false prophecy from God that he (Jonathan) would win the election convincingly.”
He said, “The man (Jonathan) became convinced to contest after Oritsejafor had told him, using CAN’s name, that God had ordained him the winner of the 2015 presidential election.”
Okotie noted that some members of CAN and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria at that time knew Oritsejafor’s prophecy was false, but were scared to speak out.
He said, “They couldn’t speak out because they were scared of being insulted. They were scared of being insulted for saying rubbish. They were scared of being insulted on the pages of newspapers. So, while I continued to write and speak that Jonathan was not the man, those of them who knew the truth in what I was saying chose to keep quiet out of fear.
“I told CAN and PFN that Jonathan was not of God; that whosoever would win would be one that had built a tabernacle in the presence of God.
“I told CAN and PFN that Jonathan did not belong to the House of David and that since he did not belong to the household, his winning would bring more sorrow to Nigeria.”
Okotie said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory was an act of God, adding that his emergence was a sign of good things to come.
Quoting Hebrews chapter eight, verses one and two, Okotie said, “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heavens.
“A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord picked, and not man.”
But responding on behalf of Oritsejafor, the Director of National Issues in CAN, Mr. Sunny Oibe, in an interview with THE PUNCH on Sunday, said that Okotie was looking for popularity through Oritsejafor.
He said, “Well, it is laughable if Chris Okotie is making this spurious allegation…We will not like to take issues with Okotie…because doing that will amount to making him popular. He is looking for popularity which he doesn’t have through Pastor Ayo and he is not going to get it.
“Okotie knows exactly that what he is saying is not true. Nigerians should know that Pastor Oritsejafor is not among those pastors that make prophecies. He does not make prophecy and never said anything during the campaigns. Why would he bring politics into the pulpit?
“This is where we Christians are getting it wrong. They are the ones misleading Nigerians. Oritsejafor never made any prophecy concerning Jonathan and the 2015 presidential election. I challenged any Nigerian with evidence to come forward.”
Punch