The founder of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh, Primate Theophilus Olabayo, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on his battle with stroke and sundry issues. Excerpts:
You went off the radar for some years, what really happened?
I have been talking. A prophet doesn’t just say things at random. It’s when God asks me to speak that I speak.
So you were not speaking because God did not ask you to?
Many at times, I warned our leaders but they don’t have listening ears. When Yar’ Adua was here, I was the only one who said YarAdua had a terminal disease. When the condition was serious, the wife called some of us to Abuja and she said we should say the husband would not die. I was the only one who said her husband would die and Jonathan will act and become president. I now told Jonathan, I said it’s better to allow northerners to come, if not there’ll be terrorism and bombing. People said it can’t happen. I told Jonathan they will make the country ungovernable for him. Is it not happening now? You see, something worse than Boko Haram is about to happen soonest.
You said you told Jonathan that they would make the country ungovernable for him, what was his response?
People that are backing him see me as a prophet of doom.
That is one challenge Nigerians have with you over the years. People say how many of your prophecies have come true. They throw that challenge openly…
What of MKO Abiola? I was the one who said he was going to win the election and not be made the president and he will die. There’s no prophecy that has not come to pass. What of East and West judgment, international community? I’ve been speaking the word of God, not only once or twice and the prophecies have been coming to pass. I’m not God and I cannot be 100 percent but I’m above men. Whenever I write, people now copy my prophecies. That’s why I don’t write prophecies any longer.
At a point you had some health challenges, which perhaps made you to lay off for some time. What is the current situation?
I did not lay off. Elijah was sick and in the process he was still doing God’s work. In the sickness, I had an attack
A spiritual attack?
Yes, a spiritual attack but I’m still hale and hearty
What’s the nature of the sickness?
Spirit cannot die. The spirit of God cannot die in you. The body may be weak but it doesn’t matter. But the spirit cannot die. God will continue to speak through you.
You have stroke?
It’s not a big thing that someone has stroke and I’m okay
You believe it was a spiritual attack?
Before I had that stroke, God revealed to me that I’ll be away for some time that I’m going to have stroke. So I looked for someone who knows about stroke, one of my pastors
God told you before?
Yes. Had it in Kaduna
So when it happened, it was not a shock to you?
No because I knew I’d have stroke
How did it happen and what was your first reaction?
I was going for a revival and God said I should go with somebody who knows about stroke. The man had to follow me to Kaduna. When I got to Kaduna, they told me one of my townsmen was sick. When I got there, God said that I should not do anything. I saw him suffering. I got a room for him. I told God let me help him out of this problem, that’s all. I paid the bills and left. When I was coming back, I was on fasting
Did you pray for the man?
I prayed for the man. When I was coming back, I had an attack. That’s how I had that attack
On your way back to Lagos?
No, it was on my way back to the church in Kaduna. God told me before that I’ll be away for some time. God told me I’ll have stroke. It’s not new.
So it’s nothing out of the ordinary because in this life, when ministers of God are sick, they tend to hide it like our political leaders. I’m not a political leader. I don’t hide my things. I had stroke.
And you’ve been going for medical treatment?
Definitely
And you’ve also been praying about it?
Yes
So what makes you believe it’s a spiritual attack?
I know because God told me about it
Did He tell you the source of the attack?
I knew it’d be exhaustion. I pray and fast a lot
But what really happened to Yahweh Evangelical Church? Several years ago, it was the happening church. Everybody was coming then but we are not hearing much of it lately
If you come, you’ll see what is happening. Come on Sunday and see. It’s still the same thing. This is another environment and God is using people.
Some people believe it appears the light has gone off the church or something
The light cannot go off. You cannot kill the light of God. Even when I had the attack, I didn’t have time to be ministering as before but God is still here.
When did you have this attack?
1996
That was a long time ago
Yes, long time. God told me I’d be away for some time. God did not tell me how many years.
So you were away for over 10 years?
Yes
How did it make you feel? Didn’t you feel disappointed that God made you go through that process considering how much you have done for His kingdom?
I cannot be disappointed. There are people that are blind. There are people that have cancer; there are people that are dead.That was about the same case with Idahosa and he died. I am not more righteous than Idahosa but I have the grace of God and my work is not yet completed
People said one of the reasons the church went down was because you were caught in adultery with somebody else’s wife. Is it true?
God will forgive you. Where did that happen? It is rumourthat is killing you people. That is why Nigeria cannot move forward. How do you expect me who preach the word of God, I preach against adultery, then I’ll be caught in such an act?Impossible. Anybody can lie against you
If you want to categorise your church, is it a white garment church?
Not a white garment church, it’s aPentecostal church
But you are not a member of PFN
We are members
How come people go into trance here if it is not a white garment church?
That is where Pentecostal churches are missing it. They say they don’t believe in vision. It’s because they don’t have that gift, that’s why they run other people down. Apostle Paul was in trance. There are nine gifts of God, prophecy is one of it. There are other gifts we are using, we are doing deliverance and the word of God is great in our church
Are you not thinking of passing over the baton to someone else at your age?
I have a calling. I am a prophet and it is not hereditary. God can choose anybody. When it’s time for me, God will tell me to lay my hand on the person. God has not told me yet. I’m still a young man and I’m not old.
Are you grooming anybody to succeed you?
There are so many people that are coming up, not only one person. Among them, God will raise up leaders. We have young pastors coming up in the church who have the gift of the word of God. Not only vision alone, people believe that it’s when you just speak in tongues alone or see vision, no. there are different types of gifts.
Many churches do not survive the death of the founders. Are you sure that won’t happen with your church?
It can’t happen here because it’s God that called me. When it is time, God will raise up another leader among us
What is God saying about Nigeria now?
We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder. We are looking at total darkness in the nation. We need to pray very well because these political people are not doing the right things. Nothing is working; the worst corruption is in Nigeria. I know you’ll be scared to write all these down.
There has never been corruption as worse as this. The name of Nigeria is now corruption and some of the journalists are not helping matters. People are being bribed. But there’s going to be a revolution. The poor will trench the rich. You’ve not seen anything. You’ve not seen Boko Haram. Worse Boko Haram is about to happen and we have to pray against religious war that may last seven years.
Let Jonathan drop 2015 and work. Let him work, let the work speak for itself because it’s most of his leaders that are talking carelessly.
When are you buying a private jet?
I’m content with the gift God has given me to save souls. Some of these people are armed robbers. Some of these pastors have estates, oil blocks and their universities are more expensive. I know you are not going to write all these down because you are part of them. You are afraid of them.
If you are not careful, some of these churches will turn to financial organisations. It’s now trade by barter. They are no more saying the truth.
It’s amazing that you are still your old self. When are you ever going to get tired?
I can’t be tired. They have tried me. During Abacha’s tenure, I was the only one condemning Abacha. That day, my phone just stopped working. I knew it was their handiwork. When he came, God revealed to me and I told him you are going to land into problem, your oga will die. Before Abacha died, one Austin came to me. He said he has a friend, Abubakar. I said he’s going to be next president and Abacha will die and it happened. There’s nobody that God cannot catch, Jonathan, Anenih and others if hundred pastors and Mallams are praying for them, they can’t survive. God is about to move if they don’t change and repent because they have put us under bondage for long. These pastors, let them change.
