Nyeneime Andy berates Fathers of Faith over 2023 Guber Electio
-Claims “foreign pastor” destabilizing A’Ibom politics, churc
-Says third force may emerge if PDP, APC slack
By Edidiong Udobia
The Presiding Pastor of Holy Ghost Ambassadors Ministry, Apostle Nyeneime Andy has berated a faction of spiritual leaders in Akwa Ibom State under the aegis of Fathers of Faith for their continuous overbearing involvement in the politics of the state ahead of 2023 governorship election.
Apostle Andy, while addressing newsmen yesterday in his office, appealed to the Fathers of Faith to restrict their involvement in the 2023 governorship election to an advisory role and allow those whom they have trained in the ministry over the years to lead the charge, insisting that the decision of the fathers of faith will not be binding.
“In every church denomination today, certain people at certain age are retired. The Prelate of many churches, when you get to 70, 75, they retire you. Some churches like Presbyterian, they retire their elders. It doesn’t mean they are pushing them out of church, but the older you grow, you wax deem. They are still anointed, but their strength determines the output.
“So if you look at our Fathers of Faith, most of us have worked with them and served them in many years, and I believe that every Moses must raise a Joshua; every Elijah mush have Elisha because there must be a succession plan. And we believe come 2023, that our fathers of faith should play a role advisory, mentorship and should allow the sons they have raised overtime to stand in to help Akwa Ibom people choose the next governor of this state because mentally, they are sound, physically, they are sound, spiritually, they are sound”, he said.
In what can be described as a shocking revelation, the clergy further disclosed thayt a certain “foreign pastor” whose name he withheld, is using his closeness to the state government to destabilize the church and politics of the state through blackmail, adding that pastors in Akwa Ibom will strongly resist the foreign Pastor.
“There are certain pastors who are not residents in Akwa Ibom State, who now parade themselves as God. They say some persons in government only listen to them. In fact, some people in government don’t listen to any pastor from Akwa Ibom. It is an error. If there’s no one that will speak up, I stand as Jeremiah of my time that this error must be corrected.
“No pastor from Lagos or Abuja has the right to chose or control what we do in Akwa Ibom State politically. They should come for evangelism, we won’t complain.
“He shouldn’t come and say he wants to chose the governor of Akwa Ibom State. Not when we have fathers of Faith and sons of faith. God is not an author of confusion. God did not take a prophet elsewhere to rescue the children of Israel. He raised a prophet amongst the people. So, we are asking those parading themselves as pastors and General Overseers to go to their own State and raise a governor.
“To be honest, there is division in the church caused by foreigners. Before now, there was nothing like fathers of Faith. That started just few years back. This so called pastor is trying to make our fathers knock their heads. I can tell you 5 different groups have emerged because of this man. He is calling pastor A to fight Pastor B. That is not how Akwa Ibom used to be.
“The present situation is that people are running spiritual things based on personal interest. The Interest of the state must be paramount. The spiritual leaders are comfortable to serve in the role of house boys to the foreign pastor. Some pastors feel privileged to be introduced to certain people. And it is because of some certain peanuts they come to present to them.”
Apostle Andy further called on the two leading political parties in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to ensure that they choose people who have lived and grown in the state as governorship candidates in 2023, assuring that a third force will emerge if both PDP and APC fail to give Akwa Ibom people the choice of a homegrown governor.
“In 2023, it will be a government of the people, for the people and by the people. We will not allow one person to choose a governor for a state of over 6 million people.
“It is time for us to step up and play a major role. The choice of Governor will not be someone that appears from the moon. Someone who has not been in this State and has felt the pain. We will not agree to anyone. When people are hungry and people who don’t stay around them come, they won’t know why they are hungry. They will feel they are lazy.
“Anyone chosen in any Political party, he must be known for the sacrifices he has done. If you allow someone who just joined the party on the name of I have been there before to take over, you’ll be the first people that will suffer. We need someone who has been in the State and has contributed to the growth of the party. We need a homegrown person.”
“If they ignore this, there will be a third force. We will sign and say in the name of Jesus, a governor of the people must be raised. We will prayerfully ask God to guide the two major parties although there is going to be a third force in case they don’t give us who we want.
“2023 will not be about party but interest. We will Ignore party and play the interest of the person we believe is going to lead us to the glory of God. The role of every citizens must be emphasized. The last election, less than a million people voted. What happened to the other people? More than 3 millions people are eligible to vote.”
