Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has eventually revealed why he supported President Bola Tinubu to win the last presidential election, saying that he took the decision recognising that it was time to make a strong decision that would reposition the landscape of Nigeria’s democracy now and not at future elections.

Makinde made this known at the opening ceremony and dinner of the ongoing Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) National Executive Retreat 2023 at the Waniq Event Centre, Jericho, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, urging all church leaders and Christians at large to continue to intercede for the leaders of the nation according to the scripture.

Quoting the book of Timothy 2:1-2: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority—that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

Governor Makinde urged Nigerians to pray and support the government in power, whether they liked him or not, for the sake of the state and the country.

He also stressed the role of the body of Christ in rebuilding Nigeria, as the Bible has stated the importance of praying for the leaders of the nation.

“As Christians, we can carry out the work God has assigned to us more effectively until we have political stability as a nation. Just as the PFN runs a single term of four years in office, which I am hearing for the first time. I am also a supporter of single-term structures.

As a matter of fact, I didn’t want a second term. I told the fathers of faith that four years is not enough to do everything you want to do, but it is long enough to make an impact and go your way.

But if we get the opportunity to discuss this, I think a five- or six-year single term is good.

“These leaders that God has asked us to pray for are products of who the political parties present to us, and when these leaders have been chosen, we are obligated to pray for them and work with them according to the Book of Timothy 2:1-2.

“Political parties will come and go, but our country remains. We must pray for those in authority. Politics is over; it is time for governance.

Well, if we don’t like those in authority, we have another opportunity in another four years to vote again. But in order to accomplish that, we must start now by joining the political parties.

We cannot become politicians when all the politics has been done.

“I made a conscious effort to join politics because I asked myself, Yes, I can pray, but prayers without work will not bring the result.

We have to make a move, and if we choose to allow the ripraps to keep taking those decisions for us, then those decisions are binding on all of us,” he added.

Reacting to the reactions of his position and perhaps those of the G5 governors at the last election, Governor Makinde said, “We cannot be waiting every four years before we get involved in politics and expect a different result.”

“Fathers of faith came to me and said that they have an issue with the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and I responded to them that they will have me if they tell me the structure of their preference.

Let’s take a step back. A party that I belong to chose a Muslim colleague of mine and former governor of Delta Christian as his running mate.

“I said, okay, this is very similar to where we have come from in the past eight years. It is even slightly lower because, for the past eight years, I was a Muslim and a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and we have moved to a Muslim and a Christian who is not a pastor.

I asked them to tell me, collectively as the body of Christ, the benefit.

“I told them if they cannot tell me what we gained in clear terms, then let us go back and make our own chapter of demand.

What is the vision that we have for the body of Christ within the Nigerian Federation? If we keep doing the same thing every four years, we will be forced to choose from among those we have presented and make decisions based on several facts.

So, we must change our approach now, not when it is a year until the election, but from today,” he said.

In his remarks, the national president of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, noted that the retreat with the theme “Going from Strength to Strength”, came at a critical time in the history of the nation, urging Nigerians now to focus more on the peace, stability, and progress of the nation as the era of elections is over.

He revealed that the Christian body experienced hot pressure during the last election but that the body stood its ground not to pitch tents with any political party, hence encouraging the over 6.5 million Pentecostals across the country to vote their conscience and promote peace in the nation.

Wale Oke, who also underscored that the 3-day retreat was to mark his second year in office as the president of PFN as well as to refocus and gather renewed strength for the next meaningful half, commended Governor Makinde’s constant effort in promoting gospel in Oyo State and prayed along with other top clerics for the governor’s refreshed strength and wisdom to move the state to a greater height.