By Kolawole Ojebisi
The spiritual ambience of the seat of power in Abuja, Aso-Rock, was the main subject of discussion on Thursday when some politicans who share the same religious persuasion, Christianity, met in the country’s political capital.
This is as former Minsiter of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, cleared the air on the presence or otherwise of evil spirits in the State House during the eight-year tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Gana, whose answer was in the negative on the matter, said he would, however, not dismiss contrary narrative outright.
Gana disclosed this at a press conference to announce a four-day International Conference of the African Biblical Leadership Initiative scheduled to be held in Abuja from October 21.
The ABLI initiative themed ‘Value-based leadership model for Africa’ would focus on raising a new generation of transformational leaders in Africa and Nigeria in particular
The ex-minister was reacting to a claim made in an article written by Reuben Abati, the spokesperson to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2016.
In the article titled ‘The spiritual side of Aso Rock’, Abati alleged that there was a force higher than what we can imagine in the state house and ‘should be converted into a museum and abandoned.’
The journalist also hinted that a cleric once told him that Aso Rock was ‘full of evil spirit.’
Abati hinted that Presidents and their handlers are often under the influence of these evil spirits who incapacitate and prevent them from doing what’s right.
While recalling his stay at the Presidential Villa, Abati added that he suffered injuries and could not breathe properly for six months just as he “never slept in the apartment they gave me in the villa for an hour”.
When asked if he also encountered such demons as a minister, a puzzled Gana shook his head.
The politician, however, said the fact that he didn’t encounter it during the administration of Obasanjo doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
He said, “We don’t live in a free environment where you are not free to do whatever you like. You are either for light or darkness. You are either for God or the devil. There are forces within the environment in which we live that if you do not spiritually agree on who to follow, you can’t know where you belong. So the issue of spiritual forces is real. That is why the Bible says we are the light of the world.
“So whatever tension you are referring to, I don’t know. During our own time, we didn’t see the thing (demon). Maybe they are too afraid of us. But I am not saying they are not there.
“From my personal experience during the eight years of General Olusegun Obasanjo, we met for prayers every day when we were here in Abuja. We believe that God is sovereign and He will give us the understanding to be able to do the best for the country. We met every morning by 6 am to pray for just God’s wisdom and guidance.”
