A senior leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Johnson Funso Odesola, has called for a major overhaul of Nigeria’s system of government, describing the country’s current democratic model as expensive, ineffective, and unsustainable.
Speaking during the church’s annual 21-day proamme at the RCCG Dominion Cathedral in Ipaja, Lagos, Odesola argued that Nigeria’s democracy was adopted without being properly adapted to the country’s unique social and cultural realities.
According to the Assistant General Overseer of RCCG for Continent 3, which oversees South West Nigeria, the Middle East, and other regions, the nation’s rising cost of governance has become a serious burden, with government spending outpacing investment in critical infrastructure.
“The type of government we are running now—we are spending more on governance than infrastructure—and such spending is unsustainable. The democracy we are running was imposed on us, and we don’t even know how to run it,” he said.
Odesola proposed that Nigeria should consider a hybrid system of governance, drawing inspiration from some Arab countries that successfully combine traditional leadership structures with modern administrative systems.
He also advocated a return to regional governance, pointing to the developmental achievements recorded during the era of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. According to him, many of the roads, educational institutions, and public infrastructure built during that period continue to serve Nigerians today.
“What the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo constructed is still there: the roads, the university. People travelled from abroad to attend this same university. Before France had its television station, we already had one,” he noted.
The cleric stressed that Nigeria’s ethnic and cultural diversity requires a governance structure tailored to its realities, urging policymakers to seriously rethink the country’s political framework.
Beyond governance, Odesola expressed concern over the welfare of security personnel, condemning the wide disparity between the salaries of political office holders and members of the armed forces and other security agencies.
“A politician who was a carpenter yesterday earns millions, while the person who has been in the force and entered as a graduate collects peanuts. That’s not fair at all,” he said, calling for improved remuneration and better welfare packages for security personnel.
He further urged governments at all levels to reduce the cost of governance and embrace prudent management of public resources to strengthen the nation’s economy.
On political participation, Odesola disclosed that RCCG has established a Directorate of Politics and Governance in line with the directive of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). He explained that the directorate is designed to educate church members on civic responsibilities, encourage voter registration, promote the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and increase participation in elections.
“The directorate is part of a wider strategy by the PFN to encourage Christian political participation,” he said. “As Christians, we cannot afford to act ignorantly.”
Encouraging members to actively participate in elections, Odesola declared, “What will be will not be until somebody makes it be. Just make sure that your vote counts and defend your vote.”
He added that citizens who refuse to vote lose the moral authority to criticise those in government, citing the biblical instruction to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Despite his criticism of the country’s governance structure, the RCCG leader maintained that prayer remains essential for national transformation.
“For a nation’s destiny to change, we need prayer, and of course, we need to speak out when we need to speak, and we must speak respectfully,” he said.
The ongoing 21-day programme, themed “My Appointed Time Has Come,” features prayer sessions, biblical teachings, and seven nights of vigils. Odesola said the event has already recorded numerous testimonies, including reports of miraculous healings and a case of a person allegedly raised from the dead through prayer.
Explaining the purpose of the programme, he said it was designed to create an atmosphere of intense prayer, teaching, intercession, and faith for divine intervention.