President Mohammadu Buhari’s birthday greeting was conspicuously missing as respected evangelist and God’s gift to Christendom, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, clocked 79.
Many Nigerians including fellow clergies and the political class taken to the social media to celebrate the cleric whose influence amongst Christian in Nigeria and all over the world is beyond doubt.
For the venerable man of God, this year’s celebration is without a goodwill message from fellow septuagenarian and President of Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari, who has not missed a goodwill message, usually issued by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, to the RCCG General Overseer, every March 2nd, since 2015 when he became President of Nigeria.
The two men who are two years apart in their 70s enjoined what could be described as a chummy relationship as Buhari’s deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is one of the right hand men of Pastor Adeboye and Adeboye having an unfettered access to the President in the State House and even during his sick leave in London.
But what seems to be a crack in their relationship could be traced to the critical sentiments expressed by Pastor Adeboye on national issues and security situations in the country in past few months.
Last year, Pastor Adeboye led millions of his church members on a ‘prayer walk’ to end the spate of insecurity and killings in Nigeria.
Adeboye also instructed his church members all over Nigeria to observe the walk, carrying a placard, he walked through Ebute Meta to Atan Cemetery in Yaba metropolis.
So also, during the recent #EndSARS protest that rocked the country, the clergyman took sides with the youths a position the President may not find funny.
Maybe pressures of state duties could have become too overwhelming for the President, but the pressures weren’t more than this last year or in the previous years.
