DIALOGUE WITH REV. CHRIS OKOTIE

QUES: Is there any man of God that you know of who got political power through the ballot box?

Not that I am aware of. There are many people in the Orthodox Church who have been involved in politics. But is there a Pentecostal that has ever been involved in the political process that culminated in electoral victory? That I am not aware of.

QUES: Why are you then venturing into politics with such deep convictions?
It is a divine mandate.

I think that it is not that they have not attempted but they have never really been able to operate at this presidential level; some of them have been involved at a lower level. Many times when the Lord will speak to a man or a woman, because it is something that has never been done before, people are very reluctant to obey. It takes a lot of courage to contradict the status quo and try to change things. I have always had the exceptional privilege of being obedient to God in every circumstance that I find myself. That is why.

QUES:Billy Graham, the American was persuaded at one time to run for thw office of the President of the United States, but he later reasoned that touching the lives of people as a preacher was more profound than politicking. Do you buy his argument?

It is not an issue that is polemical in the sense that it is not a subjective reality. When God gives a command, it is not for you to rationalise it and to ask yourself which is more profitable or which is more meaningful. Billy Graham is a great man of God and he has followed his calling. If he did anything contrary to that, he would be in disobedience. He didn't get there by his own making. It was not something that he put upon himself. It was a call that God gave to him and he must follow that call. For me, and for others like us, we can only do what we are mandated to do. It is not for us to decide which is more profitable or which is more effective in the kingdom of God. David was a priest and he was also a king. Jesus is going to come back here as a prophet and a king.

QUESS: You have the privilege of pasturing very successful people in your church, but why are these people not able to influence opinion in your favour in 2003?

Because it was a very novel idea in 2003 and my ministry was concerned about my safety and about the viability of the project, but more especially about my safety because they know how people don't play fair. Out of genuine concern, a number of them were slow in responding. All of that is in the past. The more information I have given from the scriptures the more they have come to embrace that concept of governmental responsibility that can be bestowed upon a man of God. For now, we're networking all over the country and not just in my church. We've gone across the nation - PFN, CAN; everybody is involved now because they realise that only the righteous can actually salvage this nation.

QUES: Isn't it possible that if your church had branches elsewhere rather than having everybody under one roof at Oregun-Lagos, this network of branches would have been of mighty help at a time like this?

Well, that's human argument. We cannot put forth human wisdom to juxtapose against divine wisdom because God is all-knowing. God knew from the very beginning that I will be Pastor of one church, yet He asked me to do this because He has a plan and that plan He is not going to actualize through branches. We have not really been one for branches in temrs of having pastors who are subject to the authority of a mothet church. We will have teaching centres in the future. God knows the end. He will deliver a plan to us and once you follow that plan, victory is certain.

QUES: How will you deal with chiefs and the traditional institutions who still have a stronghold on the lives of a large portion of the population. Will you seek their support and bow at their temple?

Not at all; I will not bow at their temple. We believe that whoever, whenever in Nigeria today has experienced the difficulty that our nation faces and to that extent they agree that change is inevitable. As custodians of the lives of their subjects, they would look at a leadership that would enhance the lives of the people that they oversee. That is why I believe that they would naturally gravitate towards Rev. Chris Okotie.

Do you go along with the thinking in some quarters that President Olusegun Obasanjo should continue in office for his ability to eliminate the country's debt to the Paris Club?

I don't think that it is a novel idea. All over the world, leaders do the right thing. If we have in nigeria an aberration where people don't do the right thing, the fact that President Obasanjo is doing the right thing means that there are many other men like him who would do the right thing. We are not going to limit ourselves into thinking that because one man is doing the right thing, he is the only person available. I respect what the President has done; I think it is commendable and I applaud it. He is one of so many like him who desire the right thing for Nigeria. I do not think that it is strong enough argument for term elongation.


Do you have a personal physician?

I have a personal physician at the moment.

Do you want to tell us his name?

I do not want to disclose his name because I do not have his permission to do so.

When was the last time you consulted him?

I am a very healthy person. I really do not need medical attention. We are in touch because he is a member of my church. I am not sure I can remember the last time we talked.

How regularly do you fast?

I live a fasted life in the sense that my constitution is such that I don't do few days stretch of fasting but I limit the amount of food I eat on a daily basis. We call it a fasted life. Sometimes I eat one meal in a day.

Some say you don't need to be president to impact on the lives of Nigerians and that you are already doing that with your annual charity programme, GRACE. Is that right?

No matter how enlarged GRACE becomes, it is so small compared to the population of this nation. The resources of Nigeria are not being properly managed. that is why there is still poverty in the land. To be able to redirect the gains of our resources, we need the kind of leadership that will be ble to harness all the resources that we have and that is why a certain governmental responsibility is expected. It is only at that level that you can do that which is meaningful enough to impact the lives of the Nigerian people; we are talking aout millions of people here.

What type of political ideology are you canvassing?

We believe in compassionate capitalism. That is how I describe it. It is capitalism that is somehow connected to welfare. I do not think that is something that can be described ideologically that simply in the sense that we believe in capitalism because it is enshrined int he scripture. It is capitalism but it is based on the messianic, which in itself is a concept of governmental sacrifice where it is not the people who make the sacrifice but the government. Governments have always caled on people to make sacrifices, but ours will not be like that. We will never ask Nigerians to make any kind of sacrifice. It is leadership, government that will make the sacrifice. In that way, we are different.

Where is the compassionate or messianic capitalism enshrined in the Bible?

It is not written out because the Bible is not a political book, but the concept of governance is there. When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them a home to live in, He gave them food and an enabling environment to do what He had commanded them to do and then He asked them to work, so their home and the food on the table were not as a result of their work, even though they were asked to work. But their self esteem was not predicated on the work that they did, these things were provided for them because they were the children of God. That is what we call the providential dispensation of governance. What the Fresh Democratic Party (FDP) will do for Nigerians is that because you are a Nigerian, you are entitled to a home, food on the table and an enabling environment that will help maximiza your potential. that gives you a sense of dignity and self worth at the basic level, then you are asked to work. If you want to improve your status in life, then you have to do some work. That's what it is. You have that concept of compassion that comes from creation which God has demonstrated to man. The government of any nation should make this provision for their people at a basic level. Then the gains of capitalism will help them improve their lives. Their is a balance. That is the concept that you find in Scripture.

Do you have any personal investment?
I wouldn't even disclose that.

At some point, you will have to if youa are running for the office of the president of Nigeria?

I know that, when it comes to declaring your assets and things like that. But I think it is too early in the day.

But you do have some investments, don't you?

Well it depends on what they are. Let me jiust put it this way; when the time comes, everything that Chris Okotie has will be made public. In the case of the Lord Jesus Christ, there was a political contract that God had with a man called Abraham, that He would send Jesus Christ to the Jews and that when he comes, He will change the lives of the Jews, that the gospel will be preached to the poor. That is an economic situation. There are also social dimensions to the gospel. Jesus said, " I am the truth" which translates into idealism. Then He said, "I am the life", which is the galvanising impetus- what you call the Contemplata. What would make a man want to lay down his life for his nation? Why does Chris Okotie want to sacrifice everything that he has achieved for dangerous politics? That galvanising impetus is what we call the meditational experiment for the contemplata. That concept in my mind, animates and galvanises me.

Do you perceive at some point, the ordinary Nigerian can't follow what you're saying and it may lead to some frustration because they may think here is another one of them and he is sounding so high?


I do not have that perception because every discipline has its language. Doctors speak a certain language that you don't understand. Architects speak a certain language that is peculiar to them. When it comes to politics, there is a certain language you soeak depending on who is listening. Before I decided to explain this thing I gave you the simple scripture. I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the father except by me. That is simple enough. The people that I am addressing everytime I come on television are those who belong to a certain intellectual class. They need to know that I know where they are and I disagree with them when it comes to what they are doing to the Nigerian people. They know that the one who's speaking to them is a part of them but refuses to identify with the things that they do to the Nigerian people. The ordinary Nigerian knows Chris Okotie. he knows what I stand for and he knows what I represent. he is not my problem. My problem is that oligarchy; the privileged few who think that the leadership of this country is theirs by right of divine donation. Those are the ones I am addressing and I am saying to them that their time is up and that change is inevitable.

As some people say, it is easier to influence change from inside. Couldn't you have joined a party like the PDP and canvassed the same change that you are talking about, rather than working from outside?

The PDP is not looking for change. If you want to join a political party, there has to be some ideological connectivity. The PDP is just a conscription of men and women with antithetical political philosophy, who have come together for one reason - power. They want to acquire power either by hook or crook. If you join such a political party it destroys you immediately. Ninety percent of President Obasanjo's problems are not coming from outside, but from his party. He has great ideas. He loves this country. He wants to help this country, but his party will not help him. I have often said that God appointed the president to head this nation but he didn't appoint the PDP. The President went throught the wrong political party. That is why most of the great works that he has done are on the verge of being totally eroded from the national psyche because it is the PDP that is seeking to pursue a Third term agenda which I believe President Obasanjo ordinarily would not subscribe to.
I believe very strongly that only a generational shift philosophy will engender a paradigm shift for this country. In talking about the future of this country, we must know that the current crop of geriatric politicians can no longer sustain Nigerians in the 21st century. We need a man who epitomizes globalization, who can take the Nigerian dream and interface it with the concept of globalization in a millennium that calls for harmony and innovation and I think that these are the things that Rev. Chris Okotie epitomizes.

If a Householder votes for another party other than the FDP, will that offend you?

Not at all.

Why not?

Because they are at liberty to exercise their franchise.

Do you know any Householder who is a member of any other political party?
Not at the moment. There was in 2003. We had a couple of people who were in other parties.

What has happened to change their opinion between then and now?

Two things. Number one, more information has come from the scriptures and they have come to see their responsibility in terms of ideology, not just pursuing a party in terms of power sharing. Number two, the PDP as a political party has failed them.

Basically, we can say that the Household of God is the nucleus of the FDP?
At the early stages when we were still conceptualising the party and we were a non-governmental organisation, it was mainly Householders. But we have gone beyond that now.

Are you still in touch with your vice presidential candidate in the 2003 election?
Yes. But concerning the FDP, we have not discussed it formally. We are still friends, but we haven't talked about what political action she wants to take. Her husband was also a member of the board of trustees of the political party that I was involved with. These are early days, in time, we will get together.

Did you ever practice as a lawyer?

Not at all; I was in Law School when I left for America to go to Bible School. I only have a Law degree.

Do you regret that decision?
Of course not. Anytime I want, I can always go to Law School.

Can you mention three persons who have influenced you the most apart from Jesus Christ?


(Laughter) I don't know... Okay, who now? Archbishop Benson Idahosa is one of my greatest heroes. Who else? I have to think really hard... Yes, Charles Spurgeon and... I think it is just those two.

What has been the most challenging issue that confronted you since you started your walk with Christ?

I think it is this political dimension in my ministry. Prosecuting my political agenda has been the most challenging, because you are dealing with people who don't have the same spiritual understanding as you. I had to constantly remind myself that when Jesus came to die, He died for a people who cursed Him to the end; He was crucified by the same people He came to save. To do anything for the people, you have to have a sacrificial attitude.