By Joyce Babayeju
Some Nigerians have expressed concern over what looks like a needless foray into divisive politics by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
This is coming a day after the leakage of a memo creating the department of governance and politics to support its members vying for political offices in the country.
Some Nigerians who spoke to our correspondent saw the development as unhealthy for the polity and the fragile unity of the country.
Some of the respondents were of the opinion that the development was meant to declare open support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is rumoured to be vying for the office of the President next year.
Umar Ayuba told POLITICS DIGEST that the Vice President, who is a Senior Pastor in the Church, must dissociate himself from such moves in order not to alienate his non-Christian supporters.
“We are trying to tell people to shun religious politics. When Osinbajo entered a mosque with shoe, we told people that it is not in his character but with the emergence of this letter, its hard to convince people,” he said.
A member of a group supporting Osinbajo in Lagos, Isiyaku Usman, has also condemned the creation of the department in RCCG.
“Why is the department coming up now, because their active member is contesting for the President of this country?” he asked.
He also urged the Vice President to be wary of further dividing the country along its fault lines.
Usman also advised the RCCG not to proceed to openly polarise the country with such moves as according to him the viral memo is bad optics for the polity.
