• Pastor Enoch Adeboye disclosed that Oluremi Tinubu will remain an ordained pastor in RCCG despite public pressure
• He said her ordination as an Assistant Pastor happened over a decade ago before Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition
• Adeboye rejected claims that RCCG is aligned with the APC, insisting the church is open to members of all political parties

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has declared that Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, will remain an ordained pastor in the church, despite mounting calls for her removal over political considerations.

Speaking during the church’s monthly Holy Ghost Service, Adeboye firmly rejected suggestions that the First Lady should be stripped of her pastoral position because of her husband’s political office, insisting that the church would not yield to external pressure or public agitation.

According to him, Oluremi Tinubu was ordained as an Assistant Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God more than a decade ago, long before her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, began his journey to the presidency.

“She was properly ordained many years ago, long before the political journey of her husband to the presidency began,” Adeboye said.

He explained that her ordination followed the full spiritual and procedural requirements of the church and stressed that she has not violated any of its doctrines, rules or pastoral guidelines.

Adeboye maintained that the church’s decisions are guided by established spiritual principles and internal procedures, not political sentiment or public pressure.

According to him, Oluremi Tinubu remains in good standing within the church and continues to serve in her pastoral capacity.

He also used the occasion to dismiss insinuations that the RCCG is aligned with the ruling All Progressives Congress, stressing that the church is not a political extension of any party and remains open to all Nigerians regardless of political affiliation.

Adeboye said RCCG welcomes worshippers and members from across the political spectrum, including the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance and Labour Party.

He, however, made it clear that while politicians are welcome in church, the altar is not available for partisan campaigns or political mobilisation.

According to the cleric, RCCG’s mandate is spiritual, and its platform will not be used as an instrument for political propaganda.

Speaking further on Nigeria’s political future, Adeboye said the country’s next president has already been determined by God, declaring that the outcome of the 2027 presidential election would ultimately align with divine will rather than human scheming.

On insecurity, particularly attacks affecting Christians in northern Nigeria, the RCCG General Overseer said the church has not remained silent or passive as some critics have claimed.

He said the church has consistently provided humanitarian and welfare support to victims of violence through internally displaced persons camps, relief interventions and other support structures targeted at vulnerable communities.

Adeboye said beyond public commentary, the church has continued to respond through direct assistance, practical interventions and sustained support for displaced and affected Christians across troubled regions.

His remarks come amid growing public scrutiny over the relationship between religion and politics in Nigeria, particularly as conversations intensify around the role of religious leaders and institutions in the country’s evolving political landscape.

By drawing a firm line between faith and partisan politics, Adeboye sought to reinforce RCCG’s institutional independence while defending the legitimacy of Oluremi Tinubu’s long-standing pastoral ordination.

Netizens react as Oyedepo says “give kidnappers my number”

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, triggered widespread debate online after urging his congregation to give kidnappers his phone number if they are abducted.

To support his claim, the cleric recounted two incidents involving church members. In one case, he said a pastor was abducted and eventually handed a phone to speak with him.

TheRadar has compiled some reactions on social media ranging from support to strong criticism as the video sparked widespread debate.