Nigerians have severely criticised the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, for comparing President Goodluck Jonathan with Jesus Christ.
Speaking during a live breakfast show on Channels Television on Monday, the presidential aide said Jonathan had borne the nation’s problems and woes on his shoulders in the same way that Jesus Christ had always carried the burden of Christians all over the world.
Gesticulating widely during the programme, Okupe stated that, with regard to the Nigerian situation, Jonathan could best be likened to Jesus Christ.
Noting that Nigerians had failed to understand the troubles the President had gone through for the sake of “everybody” in the country, he said, “There are political issues. People do not understand the burden this particular President is bearing. He is like Jesus Christ. He (Jonathan) is bearing the burden of everybody.”
In view of Jonathan’s “untold burden” for the nation, Okupe said, it would be impossible for his principal to lose re-election in 2015.
The presidential aide boasted that though certain politicians had been allegedly sabotaging the Federal Government’s reforms, especially in the power sector, victory was still certain for his principal.
“Today, the Nigerian Army is in total and perfect control of the North East. I can’t see Jonathan losing this (2015) election. It’s not possible,” he added.
Reacting to his comments, many Nigerians lambasted Okupe for comparing Jonathan to Jesus Christ and asked him to withdraw the statement.
Online activists who took a swipe at Okupe urged Jonathan to publicly reject the title of “Nigeria’s Jesus Christ” which they said Okupe erroneously bestowed on him.
An angry online activist, Tayo Moore, accused Okupe of insulting Jesus Christ by comparing Him with his boss.
Noting that the development was sacrilegious, Moore advised Okupe not to hold the belief that he could “insult” Jesus Christ and go scot free.
“Okupe has just confirmed that he doesn’t know or have Christ. It is only a matter of time before he (Okupe) begins to compare Prophet Mohammed and Jonathan in the same breath.
“That will be his final undoing. I am wondering what the Christian Association of Nigeria has to say on Okupe’s sacrilege, given its current ‘leadership’ or should I say lack thereof?” Moore argued via his Twitter handle.
A Kano-based respondent, Nazir Galadanchi, cautioned the medical doctor-turned politician against uttering what he described as a blasphemous statement.
Galandanchi argued that Okupe’s latest analogy was not surprising as he had recently compared his boss with the late anti-Apartheid leader, Nelson Mandela, with a view to selling the President’s candidature to Nigerians.
“That’s blasphemy. Okupe should please seek for forgiveness,” he added in a message on Twitter.
Political blogger, Japheth Omojuwa, described Okupe’s latest comparison as the height of “desperation” of the Jonathan-led Presidency.
“Doyin Okupe just called Goodluck Jonathan Nigeria’s Jesus Christ. We have finally reached the peak of their desperation. How can you trust a bad marketer to sell a bad product? Okupe trying to sell Jonathan is the journey of a blind man leading another,” he tweeted.
Social commentator, Temitope Atiba, stated that it amounted to an oddity for Okupe to preoccupy himself with drawing semblances between the President and the central figure of Christianity.
“You can see the stark irony of life when Doyin Okupe begins to compare Goodluck Jonathan to our Lord Jesus Christ. Then again Goodluck Jonathan and Jesus Christ have little else in common apart from flesh and blood,” Atiba argued.
Describing Okupe’s comparison as strange, another respondent, Aisha Yesufu, said it was the “height of madness.”
“Is nothing sacred to these people? Is there nothing that one does not dabble in with these people? This is the height of madness,” she added.
She also cautioned Okupe against blaming Jonathan’s failures on activities of saboteurs, stating that “excuses are meant for weaklings.”
“There is not bad weather only bad clothing. Excuses are for weaklings. A government easily sabotaged should give way. We are sick of the excuses. They (excuses) are way out for weak leaders and sign of incapacity.
“All it (the Presidency) does is to complain. This government blames all but itself. As long as this govt blames others the solution can never be with it but with those it blames.
“Since this government cannot fight all those sabotaging it, then why is it a government? Probably, the saboteurs will keep sabotaging him (Jonathan) and we will keep paying for it,” she said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Maybe he meant bal-jesus or boko-haram!!!
ReplyDeleteOkupe probably means that as Jesus Christ bears the burdens of Christians, so Jonathan bears the burdens of Nigeria. He does not mean Jonathan is Nigeria's Jesus Christ, neither does the statement imply that. In the Bible, Paul talks of bearing the burden of the church, and by no means thereby implying he was doing what Christ is doing even though Christ is the one bearing the burden. It is not every statement of political opponents that should be made an issue. We may not even be surprised that some of those 'defending' Jesus Christ do not even have any personal relationship with Him, and may not even have entered the church in the past one month.
ReplyDelete"Okupe probably means that as Jesus Christ bears the burdens of Christians, so Jonathan bears the burdens of Nigeria. He does not mean Jonathan is Nigeria's Jesus Christ, neither does the statement imply that"... Read and understand what what you've written. The day okupe will invite you to join him worship JEG maybe you'll find another explanation for that
DeleteOkupe the awufu wey u dey eat for aso village son don scatter ur head abi. only a mata of time.....
ReplyDeletedoyin, doyin, do yin. how many times I call u. be careful..
ReplyDeleteI am quite displeased with such sarcasm and sacrilegious statement uttered by Doyin Okupe....He needs to visit psychiatric hospital for medical check.
ReplyDeleteDoyin Doyin, you think Nigerian will fold their arms and be watching you and your boss GEJ to win 2015 election and increase the price of fuel to #1000 cos of your ill gotten gains?
ReplyDeleteThis is the surely the height of desperation by a sinking govt. I wonder if GEJ is aware of the depth of sychos in his govt. Very soon the likes of Doyin and Abati will soon say shoeless GEJ is the Christ the world have being waiting for. Useless and senseless people.
ReplyDeleteWhen ones greed have blinded his sense of reasoning, then such person tends to suffer from mouth running syndrome. Doyin think very well before u talk ooooo. Nigerians are not blind remember. God bless Nigerians and Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you, are you not evil?
ReplyDeleteHe was taken out of context
ReplyDeleteI pity Nigerians who die for religion. You guys should go and study English to understand what Doyin is saying.
ReplyDeleteDoyin Okupe is simply a sycophant! Once he's finished destroying Jonah he will move to the next level!
ReplyDeleteits nt his fort Dotin is Runing Mad already.
ReplyDeleteWhy did he not compare him to prophet Mohammed (SAW ), his head will be requested for on a wooden plate. Doyin's sanity should be checked. He is mentally challenged.
ReplyDeleteNigerians are not blind, this is the Kind of advicers we have in Nigeria. May God Have mercy.
ReplyDeleteWhen a man do good things he could be liken to Jesus Christ who bear our sins on the Cross of Calvary so Doyin is right. Even if some of you do not see good thing in Jonathan , same the crucified Jesus for the Sins he never committed. but today he is the king of the entire universe so be careful on what u say against GEJ-Nigerians are watching.
ReplyDeleteDr. Okupe is right in the context of what he was discussing. He was not equating our Lord Jesus Christ with Jonathan. His statement is just like saying that MAN IS GOD TO MAN. I am of the opinion that those who are against the statement credited to Dr. Okupe simply lacks knowledge
ReplyDeleteDr Doyin Okupe is sa man of no honour and serial liar like Reuben Abati. How there he compares GEJ a clueless drunkard with prophet Jesus (AS).
ReplyDeleteThe same Okupe promoted OBJ
ReplyDeleteSome people are stupid and those agreeing with Mr. Doyin to liken GEJ to Jesus Christ are stupid. Whose burden is GEJ carrying and How can he say he is carrying Nigerian burden so without GEJ Nigeria is finish. Our lord Jesus Christ is a redeemer and God and he is not a politician. And nobody has the right to brings His name to political talks. GEJ surrounded himself with Sycophants and praisesingers and they're going to ruin him.
ReplyDeleteOf all the comments here I agree most with you how do we get so desperate as to bring the Lord's name into politics (dirty one at that) as such giving room for people to take the name of the Lord in vain. I may not be a religious bigot but I know with all certainty that this is morally wrong and should be strongly condemned. I personally have issues with people who tend to use God and religion as an alibi, let your deeds speak for you.
DeleteDoyin is an errant boy anyway doyin and his master will soon perish like pharaoh in the red search
ReplyDeleteFor those of you talking about context, Where is the similarity or sense in comparing Jonathan with Jesus? Objects of comparison should be close or similar in a number of ways else it’s foolish drawing such comparison. Or is it because both starts with J? cos beyond that, it’s a mistake comparing Jesus with Jona cos he is not bearing anybody’s burden, he is not considerate, and most importantly he gives no hope to the masses. You could be clever like a genius not foolish like a genius. You can be angry like mad not angry like happy. So English teachers, which school una graduate from. Hazard or waste (Harvard or wales) are these not similar and reasonable than JESUS and Jonathan? lol
ReplyDeleteAm a Christian, l think through the context of the said statement guys let's take it easy, our lord lord Christ is supreme no man on earth can equate him, that's not what stupid Okupe is implying. He's just trying to some good credit to is boss of which no amount of credit attribute can save him Jonathan come 2015 by God grace is out of Aso-rock.
ReplyDeletePeople can do anything and say anything just so they can eat the crumbs that fall frim jona's loot. Doyin is chief among them.
ReplyDeleteDoyin should be careful with his statement, Jona bear his own load and not Nija load.
ReplyDeleteAm suprised that we have another jesus christ in Nigeria. How many died like this when jesus was alive? Do we have to maintain this new jesus as our Nigerian president?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteLet's not be carried away by earthly things, which are temporal and capable of destroying the soul.
Where is the can president now, let him say something.
ReplyDeleteOkupe talks unguardedly at times anyway
ReplyDeleteAm not surprised . Did one mad man from rivers state house of assembly not call mrs jonathan her jesus christ . The truth of the mater is that these people are just deceiving themselves only .nigerians of today are wiser and can no longer be fooled .
ReplyDeleteVery wrong choice of words for a politician. I think he should have at least recognized the possibility of being misconstrued, therefore should have made a better choice of words to express the same thing. He needs to be fast about correcting that or face the consequencies which may have started. Too bad!
ReplyDeleteThis is an evident statement of how this govt is ridiculing & in mock of its people who entrusted them to powers & authorities but in return is perpetual betrayal in mock & ridicule. The Almighty Lord is enough for vengeance who make ways for his people where it seems there is no way & when it seems all hope have been lost in amidst humiliation & dehumanization in disguise for humility in dat is a terrifying wickedness. The fact that we are powerless, authority-less does not mean we are not wit our God giving sense. For all wicked leaders with its terrific leadership shall be let free of its people as exemplified in the set free of the Israelite from pharaoh.
ReplyDelete