May 29: Hit-and-miss prophecies over Tinubu’s inauguration

 Today, May 29, 2023, the winner of the February 25, 2023, Presidential elections, Bola Tinubu was officially sworn in as the fifth democratically elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since the country’s return to democracy in 1999.

Tinubu, popularly referred to as Jagaban, loosely translated to mean, ‘leader of warriors’, has never hidden his ambition to rule the country. True to his conviction and the title bestowed upon him by the Emir of Borgu in Niger State, the politician believes that “power is not served à la carte.”

Despite the hurdles he faced before his emergence as the standard flag bearer of his party, the All Progressives Congress, Tinubu ended up defeating the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the candidate of the third-force opposition, the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Since his emergence as the winner of the election, supporters of the opposition parties have repeatedly accused the former governor of Lagos State of working in collaboration with state machinery to rig the election.

Interestingly, aside from the political antagonism against his emergence, there has also been the spiritual side to his acclaimed victory in the form of the different prophecies which began to fly with regard to his inauguration.

While some clerics predicted that the politician would be sworn-in, others predicted that he would not.

In this article, The PUNCH highlights the ‘hit-and-miss’ prophecies about Tinubu’s inauguration.

1. Tinubu won’t be sworn in and will be arrested on May 29 – Bishop Feyi Daniels

The founder of ‘I Reign Christian Ministry’, Feyi Daniels prophesied that Tinubu would win the 2023 presidential elections. However, the cleric noted that Tinubu would not be sworn in on May 29, 2023, but arrested by security agencies.

The cleric in a video posted on his YouTube channel on February 19, 2023, said, “About to be sworn-in, that day, everybody that said he (Tinubu) is the next president will be rejoicing and they will be saying, I told you, prophets that don’t see far will start telling you that, didn’t I tell you that Tinubu is the next president? At that event, it looks like a very open ground, like a stadium-like centre, while at that event, military men will come in and they will arrest Tinubu.”

Checks by our correspondent on May 29, 2023, however, revealed that Tinubu was sworn-in and not arrested as the prophet predicted.

2. Nothing will hinder Tinubu’s inauguration – Prophet Joshua Iginla

The General Overseer of the Champions Royal Assembly, Joshua Iginla, on May 21, 2023, prophesied that nothing would stop Tinubu’s inauguration. The prophet in an interview with PM news noted that although his favourite candidate is Peter Obi, God told him in 2020 that Tinubu would be the next president.

“I have never met him before, I have never seen him before. I try to distance myself from politicians. When it comes to the issue of what God spoke to me, I stand my ground. If you have been following my track record from nation to nation like Zambia, Kenya amongst other global prophecies, when God speaks to me, I stick to it. When it comes to the issue of the prophetic and having an understanding of it, I know that’s one thing God has blessed me with.

“My encounters are very unique. One of the things that has kept me in the faith is because of my encounter with Jesus. I have seen him. The Lord Jesus appeared to me, and I know when God is speaking. There is no perfect election anywhere. The politicians, what they think about the 2023 elections in Nigeria, that’s their own business. They should go to court, and whatever the outcomes, they should abide by it. The unity of Nigeria is not negotiable. No man can disrupt the unity of this country due to personal ambition,” Iginla had remarked.

Checks by our correspondent on Monday revealed that Tinubu was sworn-in despite the ongoing suits at the Presidential Electoral Petitions Tribunal.

3. There will be an interim government from May 29 – Prophet Godfrey Chidi

The Convener of the Holy National Covenant of Divine Intervention in Nigeria’s Affairs, Prophet Godfrey Chidi, in July 2022, disclosed that he foresaw a bleak future come 2023.

In the case of the prophecy by another cleric, Gbujie, none of the presidential candidates of the political parties, Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, would be inaugurated as an elected President at the end of the day, and instead, an interim national government would be put in place.

Gbujie informed that God’s divine plan was rather different from the current political programs put in place by the outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari-led government, stressing that the election would serve as a mere formality.

In a three-page release issued to newsmen in Enugu, Gbujie declared, “neither Alhaji Abubakar Atiku of PDP nor Bola Tinubu of APC nor Mr Peter Obi of LP or any other 2023 presidential candidate” shall be inaugurated as the elected President of Nigeria in 2023.”

The man of God said that Atiku Abubakar might win the presidential election but added that neither he nor anyone else would be sworn in.

Checks by our correspondent on Monday revealed that no interim government is foisted on the nation.

4. Tinubu will be sworn in, won’t be stopped by emotional prophecies – Prophet Austen Ikkoro

On May 23, 2023, a prophet, Austen Ikkoro
declared that the prediction about an interim government to be headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was false.

Ikorro, who had in October 2022 prophesied that the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate would win, said nothing will stop his inauguration on May 29.
Ikorro said before the APC primary election, God told him pointedly that Tinubu would emerge victorious and not Osinbajo “as many people expected.”

He recalled, “many prophetic fathers” were very careful to speak on the 2023 general elections because it was a sensitive political season.

5. If Nigerians vote 25 times, Tinubu will still win- Prophet Odedoyin Ezekiel

The President of Christ For All Souls Ministries, Prophet Odedoyin Olawumi Ezekiel, on April 3, 2023, noted that the emergence of Tinubu as president was the manifestation of God’s prophecy over his life, saying that if the INEC rerun the election 25 times, he will still emerge as the winner.

Speaking at the Church Headquarters in Lagos, Ezekiel who predicted the emergency of Tinubu prior to the elections, said that God used the outcome of the 2023 presidential election to ridicule some prominent ministers who called themselves servants of God but were worse than politicians.

Though the elections were only conducted once, Tinubu won and has been sworn in Today.

6. Peter Obi will succeed Buhari – Prophet Odumeje Chukwuemeka (Indaboski)

The popular Prophet Chukwuemeka Odumeje, also known as ‘Indabosky’, noted that the presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi would succeed Buhari and wipe tears away from the eyes of Nigerians.

Odumeje predicted while speaking to journalists after a church service at his Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, Onitsha, Anambra State in March 2023.

“Peter Obi will succeed Buhari. That is what God revealed to me. Nigerians will be happy because of it. That is what the spirit has told me.”

“Peter Obi will wipe tears from the eyes of Nigerians, and everything will be alright; because they will forget their past worries. They will be quick to forget about bad leadership because Obi will bring good governance.”
Checks by our correspondent revealed that Obi was not sworn in but Bola Tinubu.

7. Tinubu won’t be sworn in – Pastor Kingsley Okwuwe

With close to 850,000 YouTube subscribers, popular pastor Kingsley Okwuwe prophesied that Bola Tinubu won’t be sworn in as President on May 29, 2023.
Our correspondent who went through some videos on the cleric’s channel observed that lots of videos were dedicated to his prophecies on May 29, 2023.

Our correspondent also observed that many Nigerians “kept hopes alive” in the comment section of the cleric’s videos.