Apostle Joshua Selman's recent prophecy. Let's dive into it.
I like Apostle Joshua Selman. He is an intelligent and eloquent man who carries himself with remarkable confidence. From his messages, you can tell that his words come from a place of deep knowledge, conviction and personal encounters with God. He is a pastor's pastor. I could listen to him all day without getting bored, and that is not an exaggeration. He remains one of the most respected Christian clerics in Nigeria and across Africa.
Few days ago, during a church service, he revealed that God had shown him that the time of a high-ranking Nigerian politician was up.
If you live in Nigeria and follow current events, you would have heard similar prophecies before. Fear can easily be used to command attention and influence behaviour in this part of the world. When those pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, were kidnapped months ago, alongside many other reported and unreported cases across the country, some Nigerian prophets began rolling out predictions about insecurity. Many claimed the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was next and urged people to pray. The late T.B. Joshua was also a master of this sort of prophecy. To be fair, he got some right and many wrong.
So when Apostle Selman made his prophecy, it sent shockwaves across Nigeria. There are several reasons for this. First, he has never really been known for this kind of prediction. Second, he is a highly respected man. Third, the prophecy happened around the same time rumours were circulating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was unwell.
To be fair, rumours about President Tinubu's health never seem to go away. The good thing for him is that he has consistently found ways to dismiss or simply outlive them.
Weeks ago, it was announced that Tinubu would be going on vacation to Europe. Whenever Nigerian leaders travel abroad for what many suspect may be medical reasons, the word "vacation" somehow finds its way into the conversation. Naturally, the rumour mill went into overdrive. People drew comparisons with the prolonged medical trips of late President Muhammadu Buhari and late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
Then Tinubu's return date was adjusted and pushed back by a few days. The timing coincided with Apostle Selman's prophecy. People connected the dots and immediately linked it to the President. His critics certainly wanted it to be him.
Tinubu has since returned to Nigeria looking hale and hearty, at least on the surface.
So, is the prophecy real or just a gamble?
It is difficult to tell.
If I decide to be more logical than spiritual for a moment, the prophecy does not exactly tick the boxes of originality. It sounds vague, ambiguous, cautious and, most importantly, safe. No names were mentioned, which makes verification difficult.
Again, many of Nigeria's most powerful politicians are already in their 60s and 70s, while the country's life expectancy at birth is about 55 years. That means the possibility of a prominent political figure passing away is not exactly a wild prediction. Due to shortcomings in healthcare and other social challenges, deaths occur every day across the country without attracting national attention. It only tends to strike a nerve when fame, power or wealth is involved.
Then there is the phrase "high-ranking politician". It is a relative term. A local government chairman might consider himself high-ranking, while most Nigerians would have someone else in mind. No date or timeframe was given either, making the prophecy even harder to assess.
In many ways, it resembles the style of prophecy popularised by T.B. Joshua and several others over the years. It is the kind of prediction that carries very little risk if it fails and enormous rewards if it appears to come true.
It is a bit like me predicting that an English club will win the Premier League. Who is going to be impressed if that eventually happens?
The fact that all this is unfolding at the peak of a political season makes it even more intriguing. Election seasons in Nigeria often come with drama, suspense, speculation and theatrics. Prophecies have increasingly become part of that spectacle too.
But let me switch sides for a moment, like a corrupt politician changing allegiance.
This is Apostle Selman we are talking about. He does not normally engage in this kind of prophecy, and that alone makes me hesitant to dismiss him outright. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
What feels strange, however, is that people are now waiting for someone's father, mother, husband, wife, brother, sister or child to pass away simply so a prophecy can be validated.
That, perhaps, is the most uncomfortable part of the entire conversation.
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