Local Opinion: Church leaders shouldn't condone Trump's attacks on democracy

Arizona, as an African immigrant living in diaspora, I never thought I would experience a time when Nigerian politics, which has been widely criticized by our American leader, President Trump, is now looking like child’s play. In fact, I recall the second day after President Trump had been sworn into office, I was shocked when Nigeria was listed amongst the terrorist countries!

I watched in horror as Nigeria scrolled across my TV screen. I remember thinking to myself, she may be a lot of things but a terrorist country — she is not.

In Africa, we are used to tyrants and dictators who are sadistic, narcissistic, and sociopathic. We watch as they tear down their countries. They lead by fear and the citizens are always on the edge. Nigeria and other similar African countries look up to America to help deliver them.

What do we do when those who are supposed to be leading are perpetrating the same habits African leaders are accused of? What do we do when leaders are perpetual liars and their followers follow blindly, including some of our church leaders, who are “prophet-lying,” practicing witchcraft on their own parishioners, demanding that they vote for a particular candidate, instead of simply praying for all?

A few days ago, someone sent me a video of a well-known televangelist, Paula White. I watched as she, President Trump’s long-time friend, was summoning “angels” from Africa to come and destroy the “enemies” of the current president. Yet the same God who put him there in 2016 did a new thing in 2020 — he saw it fit to elect a new president.

What then is the role of the church? Weren’t we supposed to pray for God’s will and not just people who “appear on the surface” to understand the “Christian stance” on issues like Roe vs. Wade?

While I am very displeased with our pastors, I agree with them on this — our God never changes. Just as He allowed the current president to win in 2016, don’t you think He is wise enough to allow President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to win this time?

America, the world is watching, and most are speechless , watching narcissism being displayed at the highest level of government, and in our religious circles. What’s worse is that people close to the leader, for their own political agenda, won’t call those who have become tyrants to order.

Today, I dispatch these words to Arizona and America at large, demanding our media outlets who continue to pour gasoline to stop and that our leaders will lead by example. American citizens should lay aside the rhetoric and understand that when court cases are thrown out, when leading counsel announces that they are severing their relationship and will no longer be representing the president court, it is over.

We must stop the chaotic lies that the election is stolen. It is not! One won and the other lost — this is the way it has always been.