James Agberebi
In recent times, the Nigerian media space has been flooded with men of God and other celebrities sharing their encounters with God and his directives to them. From respected and renowned conference speaker and pastor, Sam Adeyemi, who shared how God directed him to stay back in the United States of America, to the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, confirming the Most Highest spoke through President Bola Tinubu when the latter said ‘Emi Lokan’ (It’s my turn) during his campaign in Ogun state, ahead of the 2023 general elections, tales of such divine encounters abound.
The Guardian brings you a list of Nigerians whom God spoke to on different occasions:
1 – PASTOR TUNDE BAKARE
The founder of Lagos-based church, Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, announced that God told him to run for the post of Nigerian president.
Bakare made the announcement during the 2018 New Year service at his church while giving a rundown of 12 revelations for the year.
According to him, God told him not to abandon his political career but, however, did not reveal to him when the appointed time to run for the presidency would be.
“This twelfth one is a difficult one for me. It may draw excitement or condemnation. I have tried my best to keep it (to myself) but the Holy Spirit will not allow me to do so.
“In my study around 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, God told me ‘you cannot bring your political career to a close; there is still more to do. Run for the presidency. I will do it at the appointed time.”
Bakare was the running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change in the 2011 presidential election.
God told me to run for president – Tunde Bakare
2 – SOUN OF OGBOMOSO
After being crowned as the new Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, cleared the air concerning his ascension to the throne, claiming that he accepted the role because God told him to do so.
“While I was in Nigeria in December, the king of our town died. I’m really close to the family because, like I said, I’m from a royal family.
“After the Oyewumis, the Ajagungbades…my family is next. Everybody from Ogbomoso who is familiar with the tradition knows that. And I, of course, knew about that.
“But I was not interested in it at all, because I believed that I had gone on a completely different part.”
He, however, said that he heard God tell him on January 2, 2022, that becoming the Soun of Ogbomoso was his destiny.
“The next thing I heard, clearly, ‘You were born for this; this is the reason for your birth.
“That’s what I heard. Of course, that’s not what I was expecting. But, let me tell you this, when I hear, I am 10/10.”
God told me to become Soun of Ogbomoso
3 – PASTOR DAVID IBIYEOMIE
Another Man of God, the leading Pastor of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, also claimed he heard from God.
In his case, in a video posted on Instagram on May 28, 2024, he claimed giving God his salary of N5,000 in 1997 led to a series of miracles.
He stated that his wife requested his N5,000 salary so that she could buy foodstuff at the market but later heard God saying he should give Him the money instead and obeyed.
“My wife told me she wanted to go to the market in 1997, and my salary was N5,000. She said to me upstairs, ‘My husband, we have to go to the market’, and I said to her, ‘I am coming’. But, I heard God say to me, ‘Give me the N5,000. That’s madness!
“Nobody will give you money physically. Your wife said she wanted to go to the market, and that day, you earned your salary, with no other money elsewhere. And, God said, ‘Give me’? You need faith. You can hear God but without faith, it won’t produce.”
He added: “Then, I took the N5,000 and dropped it as a sacrifice. In less than one hour, a woman said God spoke to her, that there was a pastor in town, that she should take N25000, pack a bag of rice, a bag of beans, a crate of eggs, everything in her kitchen, and give it to that man of God. She drove down and dropped everything without even meeting me.”
Netizens react as Pastor Ibiyeomie claims God gave him N25,000, foodstuff after N5,000 offering
4 – YUL EDOCHIE, NOLLYWOOD ACTOR
Yul Edochie, popular Nollywood star and son of veteran actor, Pete Edochie, revealed what God told him after the death of his son, Kambilichukwu.
Edochie, lost his first son, Kambilichukwu in March 2023, two months after the actor celebrated the deceased’s 16th birthday with his wife, Mary Edochie.
Following the death of his son, Edochie claimed to have heard from God, who assured him of unwavering love.
He said that God told him he was preparing him for a journey ahead, which in due course, he would understand.
“I was in my room all alone in my house in Lagos. I was all alone, I was heartbroken, shattered. This happened a few days after I lost my son. I was knocked out, just in my room, down, I couldn’t understand why it happened.
“God spoke to me, he said a couple of things to me. The first thing he said is that I shouldn’t think He doesn’t love me. I love you, and I have always loved you and I will always love you, but I have my reasons for letting this happen.
“He said I wouldn’t understand why this is happening now, at this point in your life, but in time to come, you will understand.
“Then He said again that I need the pain and he is taking me somewhere, on a journey and because of that journey I need the pain and the pain I was passing through is part of the process.”
What God told me after death of my son- Yul Edochie
5 – PASTOR ENOCH ADEBOYE
The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, disclosed what led him into praying for former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo shortly before the helicopter crash; he and his team survived in Kabba, Kogi State.
While preaching at the Holy Ghost Service of the Church’s 67th Annual Convention with the theme, “And God Said,” Pastor Adeboye recalled it all happened during the February Holy Ghost Congress of the Church, which the Vice President was late to attend.
The popular Man of God said he was in his prayer room when God whispered to him that his son was in danger.
“I got the message but I didn’t know how to present it,” he said. “He was going around on political campaigns so I didn’t know how to stop him. I also didn’t want him to be scared so I resorted to praying for him. He said he prayed for two minutes, repeating “Father, protect your son,” four times.
Adeboye: What God told me before Osinbajo’s plane crash
6 – TARIBO WEST, EX-NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL
Former Nigeria international Taribo West, explained how he became a clergyman after God appeared to him “one on one”.
The Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medalist who founded Shelter In The Storm Miracle Ministries of All Nation in 2014, said, “Why would I switch from being a footballer to becoming a pastor? I saw God one-on-one. That’s where my transition started; From the field to the pulpit.
“We were celebrating. In the middle of that, a woman stumbled into me and said: ‘Sir, please may I know your name?’ I said: ‘I am Mr No name’. She said: ‘May I know where you live?’ I said: ‘I live nowhere.’ She left with annoyance.
“In the twinkle of an eye, I just heard an audible voice. And it came like a slap. It said: ‘Switch, turn.’ I turned. It said: ‘Look at the woman. Look for her now and call that woman and apologise to her. I said that to you.’ That can only be a voice from God.
The former Inter Milan and AC Milan star explained that he switched, like a Robocop, and started searching for the woman, and she told him a lot of prophecies.
He added that she told him in the next one or two years; he would open a church and that the prophecies she gave him came to pass.
‘I saw God’ — Taribo West speaks on how he became a pastor
7 – EKENEDILICHUKWU UMENWA, NOLLYWOOD ACTRESS
Also, narrating her own encounter with God is Nollywood actress Ekenedilichukwu Umenwa.
According to her she was called by the Almighty God to go into acting to save souls.
“I chose acting because God called me into it to entertain his children,” she said matter-of-factly.
“I saw it as a vision and God made it clear to me that he wanted me to go into acting to save souls. Then, I was just about 13 years old. I never saw myself as a Nollywood person. But I kept seeing myself in a vision with Nollywood stars. Later, I started growing to love acting but people were telling me negative things about actresses and the industry. But I kept hearing God’s voice that I must come and make a difference and lead His children back to him.
“Even when I questioned the voice that I heard that to be an actress you have to sacrifice your body to get roles, it kept telling me I must join the industry, that He would be with me and make me a star. The voice said, “You would use your stardom to the glory of God and win souls for God”.
“I’m not surprised at the level I have got to so quickly because it was God who had always been with me. My journey has been smooth because He is with me.“
God called me into acting – Ekene Umenwa
8 – MINISTER OF WORKS DAVE UMAHI
Another individual who claimed to hear from God is the current Minister of Works Dave Umahi who he was told President Bola Tinubu will be in power for eight years.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics Umahi said the coming onboard of President Tinubu is divine.
“So, I strongly believe and I am persuaded to let you know that God told me that this administration will last eight years because this administration is born of God.
“You can see the miracle that Mr President is doing through the inspiration of God Almighty who brought him to right all the wrongs.
“So, we are taking back this country and giving back this country to Nigerians and that’s what Mr President has come to do and we are just there to give him support.”
God told me Tinubu’s govt will last eight years – Umahi
