Stakeholders under the auspices of the New Generation Leaders (NGL) have advised Bayelsa state governor, Douye Diri and his Chief of Staff, Peter Akpe, against dragging the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, into politics ahead of the November 11 governorship election.
The coordinator of NGL in Yenagoa local government area, Comrade Precious Odede, alleged that Diri and his team had concluded plans to visit Pa Adeboye and solicit his support for the poll.
Odede in a statement said Akpe was to lead Diri to Pa Adeboye and beg him to prevail on the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, an RCCG pastor, to support his reelection.
He said: “I have on good authority plans by the Diri government to solicit Pastor Adeboye’s support. We understand Peter Akpe, Chief of Staff to the Governor is trying to broker a meeting between Governor Diri and Pastor Adeboye in Lagos. It is expected that Adeboye will in turn prevail on the First Lady, H.E Senator Remi Tinubu, who is also an RCCG pastor to support Diri on sentimental grounds.”
Read Also: Bayelsa guber: You will be defeated, LP candidate tells Gov Diri
But Odede said the plot would collapse like a pack of cards, recalling how Diri treated Mrs. Tinubu with disdain in 2022 when the First Lady, who was then campaigning for the election of her husband visited Bayelsa to commiserate with victims of the floods in the state.
He claimed that Diri allegedly locked Mrs Tinubu out of the Government House in Yenagoa and refused to accord her the courtesy of receiving her.
Odede said: “Unfortunately, our very dear first lady will not give in to that desperate plot. She remembers too well how Gov Diri locked her out of Creek Haven gates last year.
“It is also important to note that Pastor Adeboye is a father to all and RCCG is a church that isn’t leaning to any political party. We urge the Bayelsa State government to save taxpayers monies, shelve the Lagos trip, and focus on the task of governance.”