"What we have is 'Agberocracy'; the government of the agbero, by the agbero, for the agbero".
The controversial Nigerian preacher, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has expressed strong opinions about the recently concluded Nigerian general elections.
The country had its presidential and National Assembly elections on 25 February in which the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was declared as the winner by INEC.
The Governorship and State Assembly elections were held last Saturday. Reports say the elections were characterised by widespread voter intimidation in some states like Enugu, Rivers, including Lagos State.
This has not gone down well with notable Nigerians who have openly condemned the election malpractice.
One of them is Apostle Suleman, the General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries.
Delivering a sermon on Sunday, the preacher, whose convoy recently came under heavy gunfire, said Nigeria has failed to adopt the concept of democracy properly.
According to him, what the country is practising is best termed 'Agberocracy', a coinage from the word agbero, a term used to describe motor park touts.
He said: "This thing we call democracy in Nigeria, we should return it. The one we collected is a duplicate. What we have is 'Agberocracy'; the government of the agbero, by the abgero, for the agbero.
"You stand to snatch the ballot box, and they shoot you and the man you are snatching for; his child is abroad. My consolation is that anything not built on the right platform can't stand," he said.
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Nigerian politicians
Speaking further, the preacher, who has been battling actress Haima Abubakar over an alleged love affair, noted that Nigerian politicians are not to be copied. According to him, they have been taught that honesty doesn't pay.
"A free and fair life doesn't yield results. Following due process has no reward. Everything you achieve in life is through violence. Being a trickster is being smart. Don't copy them.
"Don't copy the average Nigerian politician who makes you feel that honesty doesn't pay and who makes you believe that you can struggle to get a PVC to stay on the queue under the rain, under the heat, and right before your eyes, they snatch ballot box, kill and harass people," he added.
Message for the youths
Addressing young people, the apostle said the past month's events may have left them distraught, but they should not give up.
Citing the book of Proverbs 20:21, Apostle Suleman said that inheritance might be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end shall not be blessed.
"I know that the past month, what you have learnt, you are shattered, your hope is shattered. For the first time, the youths decided to struggle for something, and they took it from them.
"The youth should not give up. What you have learnt is how not to copy older men. What you have learnt is how illegal wealth is gotten.
