Dr. Enoch Adejare Adeboye is the esteemed leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), one of the world’s largest Christian denominations, boasting over 50,000 parishes and more than nine million members across 197 countries and territories. In Nigeria, Pastor Adeboye’s influence has steadily increased, attracting prominent politicians and business figures to the RCCG. The church frequently hosts political leaders during its monthly Holy Ghost Services, especially in the lead-up to general elections, as they seek to align with RCCG’s substantial Nigerian membership of over five million.
Pastor Adeboye has often found himself entangled in Nigeria’s complex political environment, offering spiritual blessings to key political figures, including presidents and governors. In 2014, he participated in protests against then-President Goodluck Jonathan, who subsequently lost the 2015 presidential election.
However, the political party Pastor Adeboye supported, the All Progressives Congress, has overseen a decline in Nigeria’s economic conditions and conducted elections plagued by irregularities and violence. Despite public expectations for Pastor Adeboye to address the country’s economic downturn since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, he has maintained that Nigeria’s issues require spiritual remedies. In a recent viral video, he attributed the prevention of the US dollar reaching an exchange rate of N10,000 to divine intervention.
Many perceive Pastor Adeboye’s actions as politically biased and disconnected from the struggles of ordinary Nigerians, including millions of RCCG members. His shifting stances have drawn criticism, such as when he retracted his claim that Christians who don’t pay tithes won’t enter heaven, calling it extra-biblical, yet controversially suggesting that contributions should exceed 10%.
Discussions on social media indicate that Pastor Adeboye’s inconsistent viewpoints and the diminishing moral influence of Nigerian clergy are undermining the Christian faith, damaging the reputation of church leadership.