By Olakunle Olafioye

Just as he predicted against the second term ambition of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the build up to the 2015 Presidential Election, fiery Catholic priest, Rev. Fr Ejike Mbaka, has warned his then anointed candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari against seeking reelection in 2019.

Mbaka, who gave the warning during his new year message at the Adoration ground in Enugu on Sunday, said the warning came from God.

According to him, “As I was waiting on the Lord, I’m asked to advise you, don’t come out for second tenure; after this, retire peacefully.”

Mbaka blamed the president for the numerous problems facing him and the country and said, “Mr. President you are the cause of your own problems.”

“God gave you an adviser, a wonderful mentor, a visionist, a matriarch, in the person of your wife, Aisha, but you don’t want to listen to her. That woman is heartbroken because she knows you are not yourself.

“Come back to yourself or you will cry by the time you will be sent out of office. Those who are encouraging you to come out and run again want to disgrace you shamefully and publicly.”

The priest also raised the alarm that President Buhari had been kidnapped by a powerful cabal, who he accused of enthroning great hardship on Nigerians and warned that except the president quickly sweeps away the cabal, the wind of change would blow him away with them.

While the president is yet to make an official pronouncement on whether he will seek reelection in 2019, analysts are of the opinion that his aides and many of his loyalists have flown enough kites to communicate the president’s intention to Nigerians as far as the 2019 Presidential Election is concerned.

Although Mbaka’s latest prediction for Buhari came with a condition as it stated what the President needs to do to avert his being “blown away by wind of change”, a cross section of Nigerians is of the opinion that Buhari’s second term bid is neither in his own interest or in the interest of the nation.

A political analyst and former presidential aspirant, Dr. John Kennedy Osuala, said Fr Mbaka’s prediction deserves to be accorded utmost seriousness as the priest’s utterances carry weight especially among Roman Catholics in Nigeria.

“We are in a democratic setting and everybody has the right to air his own opinion. What Mbaka said could be his own personal opinion or what he thinks. But you must not forget that when he said that Buhari would win, either by coincidence, chance, luck or predestination, the thing worked out.

“And then his prediction created uproar in the country as at that time. But today, he has come out to say Buhari should not contest, perhaps because there is so much disappointment by this government and based on that he is reacting that way. So Buhari, should just look inwards to see if he should contest or not.

“In 2015, Fr Mbaka’s prediction boosted Buhari’s chances. I want to believe that a lot of people were influenced by what he said in 2015 and I strongly believe that they will still be moved by what Mbaka has said concerning him in 2019 again.

“Mbaka is a very frank man who is not looking for anybody’s favour. His statements carry some weight especially among Roman Catholic people and you know the numerical strength of the Roman Catholic faithful particularly in the east. So, once he has said that, you should not dismiss it,” he said.

Speaking further, Osuala urged the President to take advantage of the revelation to put in place palliative measures to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians, who according to him, are groaning under the current leadership in the country.

“I am convinced that Buhari will not be there in 2019. Don’t forget that this man is an oracle of God. Fr Mbaka’s prediction is a challenge for Buhari’s government to perform  He has a chance now to right the wrongs. You can see what Nigerians are going through now. The government should come up with palliative measures to ease the sufferings of Nigerians, “ Osuala advised.

Also reacting to the issue, a spiritual leader and National Chairman of National Action Council, NAC, Olapade Agoro made light of Mbaka’s latest prediction, which according to him, is a mere political advice. According to him, divine revelations from God are affirmative and not conditional as revealed by the priest. 

“I don’t see Fr Mbaka’s so called prediction as a prediction. I see it as a political advice. God speaks in affirmative form. If God says thou must not do this, He doesn’t give any condition. I read his so called prediction and I laughed.

“He advised Buhari that if he does not do this he won’t be able to win in 2019. That is not a prediction; that is a political advice. A prediction will say Buhari, if you stand in 2019, you will lose.  But in his own case, Mbaka gave conditions Buhari must fulfill to avoid defeat. So, to me that is a political advice,”

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Although Agoro said he does not see the President ruling the country beyond his current tenure, he urged him to perish the idea of running for a second term in 2019.

“Mbaka predicted that Buhari would win in 2015. In actual sense, he was not the only one who predicted Buhari’s victory but his voice was dominant because he has access to the media. Buhari celebrated him after the victory and then he became a politician, which to me was an error on his part.

“But between 2015 and early 2016 they fell apart and the so called prediction became suspect. Mbaka should let the world know if God says Buhari should not contest in 2019 and that if he goes ahead to contest, he would lose, that is a prediction. What Mbaka is saying now is conditional, so it is not a prediction. Mbaka should tell us exactly what God said about Buhari in 2019,” he said adding that, “Buhari should perish the idea of running again. In fact, I don’t see him contesting in 2019; this will be his final term.”

Like Agoro, the National President, Arewa United Consultative Forum, Alhaji Shuaibu Ado Dansudu also expressed his misgiving over Fr Mbaka’s latest prediction but cautioned the President against seeking reelection in 2019. Dansudu who predicated his advice on the President’s health and age called on him to leave the stage when the ovation is the loudest.

“Mbaka’s statement is just a prediction and anybody can make predictions on anything. We should not lose the sight of the fact that predictions are not cast in iron- it can turn out to be true and sometimes it may not. Some people make predictions and they come to pass simply because God has destined such things to happen while some predict but it will never come to pass because God does not want it to happen.

“But for me, I will advise that the President live up to his promise that he wanted to rule for just one term because of his age and health conditions. He should just allow fresh people to come on board. He should just leave now that the ovation is loud and emulate the likes of Nelson Mandela of South Africa who ruled for a single term and handed over. By that singular action Mandela became a reference figure not only in Africa but also in the entire world.

“Buhari should tread the path of honour by Abubakar Abdusalam who handed over to civilian government after spending a short term. That act also made the entire world to respect him. My belief is that whatever you are doing ensure you leave it before it leaves you.

“Buhari has really tried his best particularly in the area of security but we must understand that Nigeria has people who are equally capable and who have what it takes to move the nation forward. There are people who by virtue of their experiences, having served meritoriously in several capacities, that equally have what it takes to rule Nigeria. If those people are given the chance to contest they will start from where Buhari will stop and will even surpass his achievements. Buhari should leave the stage and join the league of respected fathers of the nation like Obasanjo. He has done his best.

Indeed, Father Mbaka’s revelation is just one of several other predictions calling on the President to forget his ambition to seek reelection in 2019

The General Overseer of the Sufficient Grace and Truth Ministry (SGTM), Rehoboth Arena, Okinni, Osun State, Bishop Seun Adeoye, had in September 2017 advised the President to jettison plans of contesting the 2019 Presidential Election.

Bishop Adeoye in a statement issued in Osogbo urged Buhari to shun all entreaties by selfish politicians to drag him into seeking re-election.

“I think Nigerians should not be taken for granted. President Buhari should not push Nigerian citizens beyond limit by coming out again. If he does, he will only dent his image of integrity built over the years. He will be helping this country not to contest than putting himself forward again.

“I was one of those who fervently prayed to God to heal our president and bring him back to office to complete his tenure. Thank God, he is back. So, President Buhari should just finish his term; go back home and rest after 2019. I think it is unthinkable for him to seek another four years in office going by his state of health,” the cleric said.

He urged other eminent and concerned Nigerians to join in pressurizing President Buhari not to seek second term on office for the sake of this country.

Giving a similar prophecy, an Ibadan based Christian cleric, Prophet Wale Olagunju of Divine Seed Ministry, in a 51- point prophecy for 2018 also warned the President against seeking a reelection in 2019.

“Before year 2018 runs out, God revealed that Nigerians will demonstrate serious hatred for the Buhari’s government. This is going to be a confirmation that God has completely rejected President Buhari and his APC led government.

“God revealed that Nigerians will surprise Buhari and APC with their votes come 2019 general election.

“God further revealed that because of many innocent blood shed by the Buhari’s government, he should commence the preparation of his handing over note in earnest as he will lose the 2019 presidential election should he venture to contest it. God says the tag of Ex-President has already been placed on Buhari.

“God says He will raise adversaries against President Buhari and his government from all angles such that the campaign to remove him from office will be so tense. God says this will be because he (Buhari) disappointed Him by his failure to carry out His instruction,” he declared.

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has said that the party is not run by prediction. The spokesperson of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, while reacting to Fr. Mbaka’s prediction on President Buhari’s reelection bid in 2019, was quoted to have said that the party would only act on what is politically correct but not on prophecy, which it said to be a matter of personal conviction.