{
  "id": 1700435,
  "title": "Don’t pressure Adeboye to speak against Tinubu – RCCG overseer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/dont-pressure-adeboye-to-speak-against-tinubu-rccg-overseer-1700435",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T12:02:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/dont-pressure-adeboye-to-speak-against-tinubu-rccg-overseer/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pastor Joseph Odesola, a Continental Overseer for Continent 3 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has advised Nigerians not to push General Overseer Enoch Adeboye to criticize President Bola Tinubu. In an article on Monday and shared on social media, Odesola emphasized that Adeboye would speak on Nigeria's political and economic situation when he felt it was the right moment. The RCCG overseer warned against expecting Adeboye to follow a predetermined script from certain individuals who seem to have already decided what they want the cleric to say. Odesola stated that Adeboye should not be pressured into insulting the President or making strong religious pronouncements against him. He argued that such expectations contradict the responsible behavior of a servant of God. Odesola highlighted that Adeboye has a history of speaking from his convictions, guided by prayer and spiritual responsibility. He emphasized that a man of God does not have to speak merely because people demand it, and there is a difference between speaking due to public pressure and speaking when one has a meaningful message to convey. The overseer cited Ecclesiastes 3:1, which suggests that there is a time for speaking and a time for remaining silent. Odesola also warned against turning religious leaders into tools for validating political positions and urged the church to speak truth to power without becoming a political party or opposition platform. He cautioned against expecting Adeboye to insult President Tinubu simply because some people believe that is the behavior of a \"bold\" Christian leader. Odesola argued that truth does not gain strength through insults and that anger should not be mistaken for spiritual authority. He rejected the notion that religious authority should be solely determined by titles, citing biblical examples like Moses, David, Amos, and John the Baptist to illustrate that the impact of a messenger is based on the message's authority, not the messenger's rank. Odesola urged Nigerians to allow Adeboye to pray, listen, and discern before making public statements, urging them not to dictate what the cleric should say. He emphasized that a true servant of God is called to obey God, not to satisfy the expectations of the crowd.",
  "summary": "RCCG Overseer urges Nigerians not to pressure Pastor Adeboye to speak against President Tinubu, stating he will speak when God instructs him. Read More: https://punchng.com/dont-pressure-adeboye-to-speak-against-tinubu-rccg-overseer/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Don’t pressure Adeboye to speak against Tinubu – RCCG overseer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/dont-pressure-adeboye-to-speak-against-tinubu-rccg-overseer",
        "published": "2026-08-18T11:50:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}