By OLALERE FAGBOLA
In a striking feature article titled “The Prophets Are To Blame,” submitted two weeks prior to June 12, 1993, and published on June 16, 1993 in The Punch newspaper, I made a bold prediction about the outcome of the June 12 presidential election. Within the cryptic prophecy, spanning 30 paragraphs, the last four paragraphs stood out for their piercing insight.
With few changes to enhance the flow, here are the relevant excerpts:
“If the Lord advises one man to exercise patience before entering the fray, our prophets would urge him to charge ahead, blinded by hope, peace, and understanding. They would support their counsel with directionless prayers, ultimately leaving the prey vulnerable to the merciless hyenas that would soon tear him apart.”
“A train navigates treacherous terrain, overcoming obstacles and crossing rivers, only to have its engine severed from the coaches, leaving its owners stranded. Life is indeed an irony.”
“It would take the ingenuity of others to repair the train and set it back on track.”
“The Lord recently revealed to me that a certain people are orchestrating malady, and His people are unwittingly dancing to this drum of lunacy. The Lord has decreed that He will soon put an end to this chaos.”
The True Measures Of Prophets
The iconic civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Similarly, in my article, I posed a critical question: What is the ultimate measure of Nigerian prophets, given their attitudes toward issues of high public interest, amidst the misconception that politics is a no-go area for prophets?
Beyond Stereotypes
I firmly believe that the true picture of a prophet transcends the stereotypical image of a man in a cassock, sporting a bushy beard, brandishing holy books, and reciting prayers from dawn till dusk. As spirit-filled professionals, prophets are tender-hearted, filled with love for humanity, and endowed with discipline and devotion to their craft. They are witnesses to and prophetic voices in every sphere of human endeavours, including social, cultural, political, and economic domains.
Prophetic Voices In Nigeria
My research highlighted exceptional individuals like Professor Ayodele Awojobi, an engineer and mathematician, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a journalist, lawyer, and politician. Both men separately warned Nigeria about impending doom in forthcoming elections and the poor management of the nation’s economy, offering constructive alternatives. As I noted, “There are prophets and there are prophets; there are prophets of the written word, prophets of literature, prophets of politics, sociology, economics, and prophets of religion.”
Accurate Predictions
Professor Awojobi’s predictive analysis of the 1983 presidential election proved remarkably accurate, as he did forecast that determining two-thirds of twenty states would be the albatross and joker of the election. Chief Awolowo also warned against economic doom and cautioned that it might take generations for Nigeria to witness true democracy if we failed to move forward.
The Evolution Of Prophetic Roles
It’s clear that some prophets have abandoned their sacred roles to become executive prophets, feeling that the days of persecution are behind us. Instead, they believe it’s time for social critics, radicals, and human rights activists to carry on the mission of old Biblical prophets.
A Journey Through Time
Let’s take a step back and explore the active involvement of Biblical Prophets in politics and the early Nigerian prophets’ experiences. The Biblical prophets, such as Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, Amos, and Hosea, spoke truth to power, preventing kings from eliminating God’s demands from politics. They announced God’s words when occasions demanded powerful speaking out.
MKO Abiola was the man the Lord advised to exercise patience before entering the fray. However, prophets with directionless prayers goaded him to charge ahead.
Nigerian Prophets’ Courageous Stance
In Nigeria, the first-generation prophets demonstrated similar courage and conviction. In September 1931, the colonial government took notice of Prophet J.O. Ositelu and Prophetess Abigail Tapa’s prophecies. Ositelu’s 150-point book of prophecies, attributed to God, covered various topical issues, including:
– The Cherubim and Seraphim church would be scattered due to prophets and shepherds turning the church into dens of robbers.
– Medical doctors would be ashamed due to ineffective medicines.
– Despotic governments would be uprooted from power.
– Europeans would begin to learn wisdom and the knowledge of God from Africa.
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Government Reaction
The colonial government ordered the confiscation of Ositelu and Tapa’s pamphlets. However, Apostle Joseph Babalola, described as the founder of the Aladura Movement, repudiated Ositelu’s prophecies and toured Ondo province to “counter the anti-government preachings.” The Secretary Southern Provinces noted that Babalola condemned the pamphlet’s contents, stating:
“Babalola blames the pamphlet for much of the agitation… He says that it has been in circulation for some eight months in large numbers and sold by persons representing the printer. It has nothing to do with him, and he condemns its contents as bad.”
When a Prophet gave his opinion and was met with contradiction and derision he got his words written down “that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever.” (Isaiah 30:8b).
It is pertinent here to recall some facts, as pointed out by JDY Peel that pentecostalism came to Nigeria through the Aladura, when Apostolic Church missionaries came out to join Prophet Babalola in 1931.
According to him, “When the CAC eventually emerged from that link-up, it was happy to accept the designation, though today it prefers to regard itself as Pentecostal rather than Aladura.”
However, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church founded by Moses Orimolade in 1925 has retained its name, Aladura.
Despite the resident of Oyo Province acknowledging no sedition in the pamphlets, authored by the prophets, he ordered its sale to be stopped.
Unveiling The Prophecy
Let’s revisit the final four paragraphs of my cryptic prophecy, “The Prophets Are To Blame,” which predicted the ill-fated June 12, 1993 presidential election. Here’s an interpretative analysis:
MKO Abiola was the man the Lord advised to exercise patience before entering the fray. However, prophets with directionless prayers goaded him to charge ahead. The train navigating treacherous terrain represented the electoral process, which proceeded smoothly but was ultimately annulled, leaving the presumed winner jilted.
The severed engine’s repair symbolized the military regime that succeeded the government that annulled the June 12 election. The warmongers threatening violence to forcefully actualize the election, driven by self-interest, were the ones dancing to the drum of lunacy that the Lord said would end abruptly.
A Divine Caution
Remarkably, about two years before the June 1993 presidential election, the Lord revealed to me in trance and dreams that MKO Abiola should avoid partisan politics and not contest the presidential election, warning that it would cut his life short. As a journalist with The Punch, I felt constrained from directly delivering this divine message to him. I hoped the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi (of blessed memory), would facilitate the communication, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
A Prophetic Voice
In an exclusive interview with Chief Adeniyi Akintola, a radical lawyer with a unique blend of military intelligence and political acumen, three months before the June 1993 election, he expressed concerns about MKO Abiola’s candidacy. Akintola wished Abiola had sought guidance from seasoned politicians and cautioned him to tread the path of honour. His insightful views were published in The Punch newspaper on Tuesday, March 16, 1993, in an article titled “Too Many Men Have Lost Their Manhood.”
Just thinking aloud.
