Pastor Oritsejafor On President Tinubu’s Govt: “Average Nigerian Today Has No Hope, Except Hope That Comes From God”

By Ayodele Oni

Former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has remarked that Nigeria’s economic hardship and security challenges have worsened under the current government.

“The government of Tinubu has done more harm to this nation than we have ever experienced,” he stated.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Oritsejafor pointed out that many of the politicians that relentlessly criticized former President Goodluck Jonathan are now in power but have failed to deliver meaningful improvements for Nigerians

Although he stopped short of demanding Tinubu’s resignation, Oritsejafor urged the president to be realistic about his capacity to tackle the nation’s growing problems.

“I will not sit here and tell him to resign. But I will say this: don’t pretend to know what to do when you don’t. Don’t pretend you can rescue Nigeria from its current state if you know you cannot,” he said.

Oritsejafor who is the founder and senior pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, also advised Tinubu against pursuing a second term in office.

“Don’t begin to dream of coming back to continue this same mess,” he said.

Oritsejafor defended former President  Jonathan’s record while in office and challenged the credibility of those who branded the former president “clueless,” insisting that the country’s challenges have persisted and in some cases worsened under the leaders who once positioned themselves as better alternatives.

According to Oritsejafor, those who led the charge against Jonathan have yet to justify the expectations they created, raising questions about whether their criticism was driven by genuine concern for Nigeria or political ambition.

“Where are those people now? Are they not the same people today who are in power?

“They called him clueless, yet they would not allow him to implement the policies he believed were necessary.

“They organized protests against him across the country, especially in Lagos.

“The people who sponsored those protests and drove those campaigns are largely the same people in power today. They claimed to have the solutions, but look at where Nigeria is now,” he said.

When asked whether he regretted supporting Jonathan during the 2015 presidential election, Oritsejafor was unequivocal.

“No, I don’t,” he replied.

Although he stopped short of demanding Tinubu’s resignation, Oritsejafor urged the president to be realistic about his capacity to tackle the nation’s growing problems.

He further criticized the administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, arguing that many Nigerians are yet to experience any meaningful improvement in their living conditions.

“The average Nigerian today has no hope, except the hope that comes from God,” he remarked.