Bishop Isaac Idahosa, Founder/General Overseer, God First Ministries, aka Illumination Assembly, predicted correctly months before the presidential election that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) will floor the then incumbent, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan – and it came to pass. YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, AZUH ARINZE, got him again to advise President Buhari on the things he must not do in office. Hear him…
The last time we met, you predicted that Buhari will defeat Jonathan. To quote you now, you said ‘only God can stop Buhari from becoming president’. How do you feel now that your prediction has come to pass?
You see, it’s not all prophets that are confused. My name, most of the time, drives how my relationship with God is. Idahosa means hearing from God, being attentive to God. Sentiments or the things you see around you might make you not to hear God clearly, but when you become a man of the spirit, that communes with God irrespective of the odds, you will hear Him and speak just as you have heard. Two things determine what happens with God among us – hearing and doing. So, I heard it exactly and I declared it.
How would you have felt if the prediction didn’t come to pass?
This is not prediction, this is declaration. To predict means there is room for it not to; but when you say you hear from God, on no account must it not come to pass. Once you have heard God; God does not need to borrow strength from anyone to bring His word to pass. It’s not me that brings what He tells me to say to pass. It’s Himself that does bring what He has said through me to pass. So, on no basis or account would I have thought it was not gonna come to pass. It was 100 percent guaranteed.
When you made the declaration, some people were complaining, asking you to withdraw it and like you also said in the interview. How did you stand your ground in spite of the pressure being mounted on you then?
When you receive God’s permission, you don’t need men’s persuasion. Now, it’s better you obey God than men, because in the end, it is God you stand to give account of your life and ministry to; not man. Men will always want you to dance to their tune. If I had heard about Jonathan as at that time, I was gonna declare Jonathan. But that was not what I was hearing. So, it didn’t matter what they said, how they opposed me. But today it is clear, just like 7UP – the difference is clear among those who had said that and those who had said boycott him. Today, the same people have turned a new leaf; oh Idahosa, oh God still speaks. And I said He does still speak and we are His mouth piece.
Now, some other preachers got it wrong. They said Jonathan will win, but at the end of the day Buhari won.Why do you think they got it wrong?
I’m not them to speak for them and I know you are a very versatile journalist; YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine is also reputable. So, you might as well put a call to them to find out. But you see, sometimes too; it’s just like when God was calling Samuel and Samuel was running to Eli until Eli now said next time when you hear such a thing, say speak for thy servant heareth. You see, we know in parts. I won’t apportion any blame to them; we know in parts, we understand in parts. Some of the times too, you wonder who is speaking? Again, I must balance this – God can say you are, but you have to meet up with the conditions. If God says this is gonna happen, find out the conditions. Find out the conditions! Remember in Isaiah 38 when prophet Isaiah went to Hezekiah and said to him that thus says the Lord, set your house in order, you are going to die. You will not recover from the sickness and then Hezekiah went back to God and prayed and God said to Isaiah, return back to Hezekiah and say to him I’ve heard his prayer and I’ve added on to him 15 more years. So, it is one thing to prophesy, it’s another thing for you to find out what are the conditions to ensuring this prophesy comes through. So, there might be some prophesies from God, if you don’t find out what to do on your own part, it might just slip off you.
Your prediction or your declaration, like you called it, which has now come to pass, has it impacted on your ministry in any way?
Oh yes! People have been calling; it has really gone a long way to further establish that God still speaks to people. It has built courage, hope, trust among many beyond the Body of Christ. It cuts across – religion, ethnicity and all. That there are still people that hear from God today. It has done a lot of work as per building trust that God still speaks.
What is your advise to the new government?
My advise is…they have a manifesto. No. 1, they must ensure that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiated. We must remain as one. Two – they must follow their manifesto to the letter. And no. 3 – they must have a listening ear. Because there is something about when you get to that place – it’s like there’s one kind of thing that comes on you. You must not be a dictator, you must be a man of the people that wants the improvement of the common good or the common man. You must ensure that your manifesto is followed to the letter and have a feedback policy that will make you have feedback on what you are doing.
What mistake must Buhari not make?
He must not make the mistake of trying to punish those who ‘hate’ him or have spoken against him. He is the father of the nation, so he must embrace all irrespective of your religion, your ethnicity, your political affiliation. Buhari must not make the mistake of trying to be what he used to be. He said he’s a repentant democrat, so we want to see it. There must be rule of law. He’s a man I have great respect for, so he should stand as thus and then let’s see his credibility working.
What is the greatest challenge facing Nigeria now that Buhari must focus on?
The greatest challenge is corruption. Corruption! And he has the pedigree of handling that and once he’s able to deal with the issue of corruption, every other thing will fall in place.
What’s your prayer for Nigeria in this new republic?
I pray that peace will paddle our cross, I pray we have Nigerians at heart, I pray that we will not just be Nigerians, but we should be for Nigeria. It’s one thing to be a Nigerian and not be for Nigeria. We pray that the economy will boom and the common man will benefit from the policies. Like Buhari, I see a Nigeria where the United States of America Dollar will be equal to N1. We trust God that Naira will regain its strength among the commonwealth of nations, we pray that the refineries will work; I see the refineries working, I see where the green passport regains its value internationally, I see where our people in the Diaspora will have reasons to return home to put in their quota, I see a Nigeria where integrity will be the watchword and everyone will have the freedom to stay or to live in any part of the country.