Leave RCCG, Adeboye out of politics, group warns Diri

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Stakeholders under the auspices of the New Generation Leaders (NGL) Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and Peter Akpe, his Chief of Staff against dragging the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and its General Overseer Pa Enoch Adeboye into politics ahead of the November 11 governorship election.

The Coordinator of NGL in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Comrade Precious Odede said that Diri and his team had concluded plans to visit Pa Adeboye and solicit his support ahead of the poll.

Odede, in a statement on Wednesday, said Akpe was to lead Diri to Pa Adeboye and beg him to prevail on the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, an RCCG pastor, to support his re-election.

He said: “I have on good authority plans by the Diri government to solicit Pa Adeboye’s support’.

“We understand Peter Akpe, Chief of Staff to the governor is trying to broker a meeting between Governor Diri and Pa Adeboye in Lagos. It is expected that Pa Adeboye will in turn prevail on the first lady, H.E Senator Remi Tinubu who is also an RCCG pastor to support Diri on sentimental grounds”.

But Odede said the plot would collapse like a pack of cards and recalled how Diri treated Mrs. Tinubu with disdain in 2022 when the First Lady, who was then campaigning for the election of her husband visited Bayelsa to commiserate with victims of the flood disaster in the state.

He said Diri locked Mrs Tinubu out of the Government House in Yenagoa and refused to accord her the courtesy of receiving her.

Odede said: “Unfortunately, our very dear first lady will not give in to that desperate plot. She remembers too well how Gov Diri locked her out of Creek Haven Gates last year.

‘It is also important to note that Pa Adeboye is a father to all and RCCG is a church that isn’t leaning toward any political party. We urge the Bayelsa state government to save taxpayers’ monies, shelve the Lagos trip and focus on the task of governance”.