VIDEO: Pastors should stop shouting from the pulpit, join politics — Femi Emmanuel

…Says most are politically ignorant

The Presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International, Femi Emmanuel, has urged pastors to become actively involved in politics instead of criticising government policies from the pulpit.

Speaking during an interview on TVC News, the cleric said many pastors are passionate about Nigeria but lack a proper understanding of politics and governance.

“My people, fellow pastors, fellow general overseers, they are very passionate about this country. They work hard, they believe in this country, they love this country. But when it comes to politics, they are completely ignorant,” he said.

According to Emmanuel, many pastors speak on political issues without participating in the processes where laws are made and government policies are implemented.

“You are not where laws are made, you are not where policies are implemented, but you are shouting from the pulpit. That is shouting from the back of the fence,” he stated.

The cleric, who served as Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly between 1992 and 1993, encouraged Christians, young people and other Nigerians to get involved in grassroots politics.

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“Political fathers, their power is the ward. That’s where you and I should go. That’s where the corporate majority should go. That is where the youth should invade. That is where the church community should invade,” he said.

Emmanuel also weighed in on the debate over Muslim-Muslim and Christian-Muslim tickets, arguing that holding political office based on religion does not automatically benefit Christians or the church.

Referring to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, he said, “All this talk of Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Christian, I ask them, in 2019 it was not just a Christian-Muslim ticket, it was a Christian pastor ticket. Our brother and friend, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo, very cerebral, very brilliant, very outspoken. But what did he bring to the body of Christ as a church?”

He further described the office of the vice president as having limited constitutional powers.

“Our constitution says the vice president is a spare tyre. So what Christians are arguing for is, ‘We want a vice president.’ What would that bring to the church? Nothing. We are Nigerians,” he said.

Emmanuel also dismissed election prophecies made by some clerics, describing them as a reflection of political ignorance.

When asked about pastors who claimed they received divine revelations on election outcomes, he replied, “They don’t know. Ignorance.”

He added, “Well, you know, were you there when they heard from God? Anybody can claim to hear from God.”