Primate Belonwu Ezeanyaeche of White Holy Sword of Light Church, Abuja, says President Muhammadu Buhari is God’s gift for Nigeria and that the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will never be president of Nigeria. In this interview with EMEKA NZE, the prophet makes other revelations.
Two years into this government and given the hardship in the country, do you still think President Buhari is still a divine plan for Nigeria?
I think that the Buhari administration is quite in order. Nobody can do better than this at that this time because it is not easy to bring Nigeria to the stage it is now given the fact that Nigeria had been messed up in the past but with Buhari things are turning around. Nigeria will get to where she wants to be, it is getting better.
You are not worried that the current hardship in the land might affect his second term chances?
There are blessings from everything. Now both the rich and the poor are complaining. That is the way it is supposed to be, rather than a situation where the rich becomes richer and the poor poorer. Everything is going on smoothly.
Now the whole thing is balancing, and the people need to work to earn their living. We are used to boycott procedures, there was corruption everywhere, people eat without working. With this man (Buhari) now, there is now the value of work before you eat. That’s what Nigeria needs at this time because there is nothing better than what we have now.
Can you point to some of the things that make you delighted with the administration?
People have their freedom now, are no longer afraid of impunity of the rich and security agencies. People were used to careless attitude. But now that has changed. Buhari has brought Nigerians on red alert, particularly, the corrupt officials. People are now careful about the way they handle public funds.
We are secured now and we have security operatives everywhere. Buhari is very articulate, he has integrity, is humble and with the few things I have seen so far generally in Nigeria, the atmosphere has changed for better. People can now say their mind. People are now conscious of work. People can now do what is right. No need for godfatherism.
Are you speaking as an ordinary Nigerian, a Buhari supporter or a prophet who had revelations on these issues?
What I am saying is what God had revealed to me about this country and about Buhari and what Nigeria is going to be. Everything is working according to God’s plan. God brought this man in to strengthen issues. People may not see it that way but the truth remains that God is at work.
But public sentiment seems otherwise especially considering the unfulfilled campaign promises which also supports the view that Buhari can easily be defeated in 2019. Do you agree with this view?
I totally disagree. It is wrong to say Buhari has fulfilled campaign promises, we have seen many of them fulfilled. He has given us hope that Nigeria will be good again. Today corrupt people are crying because he has blocked all the loopholes that people used to steal from. He is chasing corrupt people around so you don’t expect them to like what Buhari is doing. It is good people that accept the good things that Buhari is doing.
If Atiku emerges as the PDP presidential flag bearer, you don’t see him defeating Buhari?
Atiku defeating Buhari in an election is like having a carmel passing through the eye of a needle. It cannot be possible. He cannot. Atiku has lost the key to the presidency since 2016. There is no way he can be the president of Nigeria, even if he contests for 10, 20 times, he will not be the president of this country.
Why do you think so?
Because God revealed it to me. In 2006, I warned him. You finished the 8 years as a Vice President, stay away let another person contribute his quota. But he hardened his heart and that was when God took away that blessing from him. So whether he contests against Buhari or he contests against another person, Atiku will not be the president of this country because God has taken the key from him.
So God revealed to you that Atiku will not make it in 2019?
Atiku is not going anywhere. God revealed to me that Buhari will rule this country for 8 years and there will be an attempt to eliminate him and that has already happened. God saved him because he has to fulfil his mandate. So anybody that will come after Buhari will have to wait till he finishes the work God wanted him to do.
I want Nigerians to be very watchful or very careful because the man that will succeed Buhari will be more decisive than Buhari and Nigerians will cry for the return of Buhari. The man will come after Buhari will be tougher and more decisive and Nigerians will clamour for Buhari to come back to power. Buhari is very soft compared to the man that will come after him. APC will still be in power.
So you don’t agree that Atiku is a more nationalist figure than Buhari?
But what I am telling you is what God revealed to me. You can hardly know that Buhari is a military general because of his humility, his courage and the way he relates with people. He is different from someone who would promise what he can’t fulfil. Buhari is a silent achiever.
There is no way anybody will choose Atiku over Buhari. Nigerians have seen Buhari as someone who has taken their food from their mouth because of their usual illegal way of surviving. The man now says go to farm and work, put your hands on the deck before you eat.
There is no chance and room for corruption, for stealing and killing and that’s why we are complaining. It will take a while for Nigerians to understand Buhari’s approach to governance.
But some say Buhari’s anti-corruption war is lopsided, merely used to witch-hunt PDP members?
I don’t see it that way. I don’t see the Buhari’s anti-corruption war as one sided. The people that are corrupt, that stole the nation’s money, had been in power for about 16 years or more. It doesn’t look to me like he is chasing PDP members only.
It is because the PDP had been ruling this country for a while, so most of the people that stole this money happened to be in the PDP. He is pursuing personalities that had stolen our money, any right thinking person would do that.
Since some of former PDP members that defected to the APC also allegedly perpetrated some acts of corruption, shouldn’t the dragnet have been extended to the APC too?
Buhari is working based on information available to him. If you bring a name with evidence, he will go after the person. I have seen some APC people who are also on the run because of corruption. So it has nothing to do with party.
Atiku and some others have canvassed for the restructuring of the country, what’s your view?
I prefer Buhari to Atiku because God revealed these things to me. God revealed Atiku to me in 2006 when he was working as Vice President under Obasanjo. Why didn’t he propagate this restructuring then, why now? Is it because he wants to be president and wants to get the support of the people? Or he wants to get the support of the South?
The status quo will remain because politically people will votes often based on the whims of the various geo-political zones, and some will make promises which they will jettison once they are elected. For example, the South eastern part of this country will give their maximum support to Buhari because we are beginning to see the light.
Are you saying this despite the alleged lack of adequate representation of the Southeast in Buhari’s government?
I believe appointments are given to people that can deliver and the Buhari administration is about doing the work. Giving someone a job because he is from a particular area but which he can’t handle will not help the country.
Do you believe that South east lacks people with capacity and competence in any field?
If you look at that critically, those given to us what have they brought back to the South east? What did they bring back? Even with the few that he has appointed, we are still suffering dilapidated roads, the problem of light and water. What are they doing? They ought to have done something with the little they were given so that we will fight for more.
