MBAKA: Opportunist, extortionist, or modern day Nostradamus?

Mbaka, a Nigerian clergy, has become notorious for throwing himself actively into the country’s political fray. On a couple of occasions, he had gotten his fingers burnt but remained undeterred. John Chukwu of Ripples Nigeria examines Mbaka’s many controversial utterances and let’s you be the judge on the conduct of the now ‘renowned man of God.’

Prophesy or insider deals?

Following the sack of Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), as the governor of Imo State, on January 14, 2020, by a 5-man panel of the Supreme Court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, Rev. Fr. Ejike Camillus Mbaka became an item of national discussion.

Fr. Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), was reported to have prophesied, on December 31, 2019, during the crossover night, at his Adoration ground permanent site at Umuchigbo-Nike, Enugu State, that Senator Hope Uzodinma, who contested the March 9, 2019, Imo State governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would become the governor of the State.

“Many things are going to happen in Nigeria this 2020 that will shock countrymen and countrywomen; but all would be to God’s glory. In spite of all that would happen this 2020. There is hope. In Imo State, there is hope. Hope, hope, hope in Imo State! Lift your candles as I bless Hope Uzodinma; and I empower him to, spiritually, to take over. How? I do not know,” he stated.

Though Fr Mbaka’s prophesy came to pass, in different quarters, doubts rest on the minds of many that he did not hear from God. They believe that someone in the APC might have leaked the information, on the Supreme Court judgement, to him. This might have stemmed from his established relationship with the party as he is an ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In this way, it is thought that the Priest, who is widely known for making controversial declarations and assertions, was merely being opportunistic by taking advantage of the information he got while being used as an instrument to prepare the minds of Imolites on the eventual sack of Ihedioha as Imo governor.

However, Fr. Mbaka is no stranger to controversies and he does not appear like one who is afraid of criticisms. This he demonstrated, at the heat of the row occasioned by his prophesy, by declaring that he has 39 more prophecies that will come to pass in 2020. In a statement, by his spokesman, Maximus Ugwuoke, he stated: “Uzodinma becoming the governor of Imo was just a part of about 40 prophetic prayers Fr. Mbaka made on December 31. But that became the only issue people satanically picked him. God has vindicated Fr Mbaka as He has always done for Fr Mbaka and Adoration Ministry in all the battles, vituperations and attacks the ministry had faced in the past. To God be the glory.”

Blackmail as stock in trade?

After the Supreme Court sacked Ihedioha, Fr Mbaka asserted that he would come to see him in order to avert the prophecy. “What’s the distance from Imo State to Enugu, that after giving the message on 31st night, Ihedioha cannot come to Adoration and seek for God’s intervention, rather he embarked on attacking and castigating the message and the messenger; tell me the person that attacked a genuine man of God and went scot-free?” he said.

There are insinuations that it was for his monetary advantage that he wanted Ihedioha to run to him.

It could be recalled that in 2018, Fr. Mbaka, at his Adoration Ground, heavily criticized President Buhari for his refusal to appreciate his ministry for their vigorous support which saw him defeat the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 Presidential election. The governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, was present at the gathering. He told the governor (Ganduje) that President Buhari should have run to the Adoration to show his gratitude the time he won the election but that he chose to turn his back on them.

“We have been supporting you people; if you know what this ministry is passing through because we are supporting Buhari and the attackers are waiting to hear me say we are supporting him again and attack will start and Buhari will remain in his Aso Rock, being somebody who cannot give money. What does that mean?” he ranted.

The Priest appeared annoyed and frustrated while speaking to Ganduje. It was quite obvious that the President had failed all that he expected in return for supporting him. Prominent among his expectations was provision of funds to build his Adoration Ground as he claimed that they were chased out of where they used to stay because of his support to the President, and that he almost got assassinated as well.

He also alleged that it was because of President Buhari that he had to disgrace Peter Obi, the then PDP Vice-Presidential aspirant during the 2019 general elections, who, at the occasion, refused to disclose what he will do for his Adoration ministry. He even warned that the President’s health might deteriorate due to his ingratitude to them.

“It’s because of Buhari that we have told Peter Obi all these rubbish he heard today and I want to tell you, if Buhari must remain ungrateful to this ministry, he is going nowhere! The one we supported him is what is holding him spiritually. How many times had he died almost? He should not take it for granted that he is now healthy, anything can happen and his health will collapse,” he asserted.

Fr Mbaka would later prophecy that God said that President Buhari should resign and not contest for second term in 2019. This was widely interpreted as a mere show of frustration based on the premise that the President went ahead to contest and win.

Mbaka present day Nostradamus?

Even before Fr. Mbaka issued a prophecy on the sack of Ihedioha he was already popular with making political predictions. This trait likened him to the late French writer, prophet and astrologer, Michel de Nostredame, popularly known as Nostradamus. Nostradamus was famous for accurately predicting the death of Princess Diana in 1997, the first and second world wars, the French Revolution in 1789, the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945 etc.

However, some of Fr Mbaka’s predictions have come to pass while some backfired. In 2015, when he became fed up with the Jonathan administration, he pronounced that his Presidency was now a ‘bad luck’ to Nigerians.

“The Goodluck met Yar’Adua and Yar’Adua died. Before you know it the Goodluck met our oil and the oil had a bad luck and poured away, before we knew it, the Goodluck met our Naira, our Naira had a bad luck. Where are we going? What is the fate of this country? Shall we continue like this, we need change,” he said to thousands of parishioners at his Adoration Prayer Ground in Enugu.

He told all who cared to listen that God had rejected Jonathan, insisting that he would lose to the then APC Presidential aspirant, President Buhari. This came to pass.

He was also known to have predicted that Rangers FC would win the 2016 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) after an endless 32-year wait.

“Before the 2016/2017 season began, we dedicated the players and the league to God, and a prophecy came that the league trophy belongs to Rangers,” he said.

The Priest does have predictions that did not see the light of the day. While Chimaroke Nnamani was the governor of Enugu State between 1999 – 2007, Fr. Mbaka was more of an opposition of some sort to him. The row between both of them got so intense that he alleged that the then Governor wanted to assassinate him. Towards the end of Nnamani’s first tenure, Fr. Mbaka prophesied that God had departed from him and that he would be disgraced out of office. This did not come to fruition as Nnamani won the election.

When the late boss of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), Professor Dora Akunyili, resigned as the Minister of Information and Communication, under the Jonathan administration, and was running to be the Senator representing Anambra Central, she had a strong contender, Dr Chris Ngige. In desperation, she ran to meet Fr. Mbaka, at his Adoration ground, who assured her of victory at the polls, after praying for her. This did not come to pass as Ngige won the Senatorial election.

It is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians that in 2018, Mbaka asserted that God is against the plan by President Buhari to contest for a second in 2019.

“As I am waiting on the Lord, I’m asked to advise you, don’t come out for second tenure; after this, retire peacefully. Come back to yourself or you will cry by the time you will be sent out of office. Those who are encouraging you to come out and run again want to disgrace you shamefully and publicly.” President Buhari contested and won the election.

Fr. Mbaka gained popularity with his controversial prophecies and/or predictions. It is quite understandable to see people cast doubts over the veracity of his prophecies due to the fact that some of them did not come to fruition and based on the grounds that his disposition shows that his prophecies and political solidarity appear to be driven by pecuniary gains.

However, whatever the case may be, Fr. Mbaka has remained unflinching and undaunted in his style of supporting and attacking politicians. Perhaps, we are yet to see all he has in his kitty.

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