On January 14, when the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the matter between former Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha and the new governor, Hope Uzodinma, another man except the two hugged the news for the reason of that judgment. That is Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka. David-Chyddy Eleke, in this piece, x-rays Mbaka’s prophecies and the recent one that threw up Uzodinma
When on the night preceding the New Year, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, during his cross over night (a mass conducted to usher in the new year), stated that Senator Hope Uzodinma would be the next governor of Imo State, he was not taken seriously. Most Nigerians condemned his style of prophecies, describing it as mostly political.
During the mass, Mbaka in a prophecy, had said, “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…hope in Imo State!
“Imo people have suffered (but) God is raising a new hope that would be an agent of salvation for them. He’s coming with a new flag to restore the dignity of that noble land. A new leadership that will break barriers and there would be joy in the land of Imo.
Mbaka added: “Lift your candles as I bless Hope Uzodinma; and I empower him to, spiritually, to take over. How? I do not know. Please, if you heard that there would be a new government in Imo and you don’t like the message.
“If I say Hope, you can say hopeless, but do not fight me. I am saying this in respect to those, who may want to come after me, because of the message. If you do that, the God of Moses, Elijah and Elisha will deal with you. I am only a messenger of God.”
The man, Mbaka needs no introduction, at least in Nigeria, either in the religious or political circles. Even in sports and others, the man is a household name. He is a Catholic Priest of Enugu Dioceses, and the Spiritual director of Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (AMEN).
Long before his prophecy on the ouster of Governor Ihedioha, Mbaka has been used to controversies and has never been afraid of criticisms. He has many prophecies up his sleeve, a number of which came to past, and most others, which didn’t, but he is not the type that owes you any apologies for his prophecies, as he believes that he heard from God and spoke His words to man. In fact, he said recently after the Supreme Court fulfilled his prophecy in Imo that he had 39 more he had not revealed.
Mbaka’s Many Prophecies
Besides the removal Ihedioha, Mbaka had made other shocking prophecies, which didn’t look like they would come to pass, but they did. Most others too had also not come to pass, but these set of prophecies have never received the kind of attention the ones that came to pass received.
During the days of Chimaroke Nnamani, who was governor of Enugu State between 1999 and 2007, for instance, the governor came against stiff opposition, but his opposition was not from other political parties in the state, but from a priest. That priest was Fr Mbaka.
The row between both men got to a head, and the priest raised the alarm over alleged plan to assassinate him, by the governor. Towards the end the first tenure of the governor, Mbaka was quoted as prophesying that Nnamani would not get a second term. He had stated that the spirit of God had departed from Nnamani, and that he would be disgraced out of office.
The then governor did not only win a second term, but went ahead to also win a seat in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after he completed his second term.
In what looked like a departure from that failed prophecy, in 2015, Mbaka again prophesied that the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration would lose to the All Progressives Congress candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. He was so critical of the Jonathan presidency that some people felt that the priest was aggrieved, because he stated that he had made several attempts to see Jonathan to no avail.
When then First Lady, Patience Jonathan visited the Adoration Ministry in Enugu, Mbaka reportedly rejected her offertory and gift, saying he would not associate with someone that God had rejected.
“There is no one kobo of Jonathan or Mrs. Jonathan in my hand. The Holy Spirit rejected all of them. When the saga was going on, I put my hands on the altar, swore an oath that if I ever touched Jonathan’s one kobo, may he win the election and that if I never and I am being accused of it, he will fail the election…” Jonathan lost the election, and Mbaka’s popularity was renewed, coming from his failed prophecy on Nnamani.
Just as stated before, if Mbaka has made 100 prophecies, it can be said that, perhaps, 50 per cent of it had come to pass, while the other half has also not. The celebration of his prophecies that came true has always dwarfed the mention of those that never came to pass.
In 2018, Mbaka had spoken against the plan by President Buhari for a second term in 2019. Speaking on the eve of the New Year in 2018, Fr. Mbaka told President Buhari not to consider seeking a second term in office.
He said, “As I was 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.”
Mbaka had also lamented about the suffering of the poor masses in Nigeria, under Buhari. He warned the president not to contest, but Buhari did not only contest, but won the election in 2019, albeit allegedly rigged.
But in what looked like a recant, prior to the 2019 presidential election, Mbaka rather supported Buhari against Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr Peter Obi, both of whom ran under the PDP. As if an open confrontation, Mbaka during the harvest thanksgiving of his church called out Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and asked that he donate to the church.
Obi, in his usual calmness, stated that he would prefer to donate anonymously without mentioning it, but Mbaka insisted he mentioned the amount. This snowballed into an open confrontation, which led to the same Mbaka, who had eulogised Obi and addressed him as ‘my brother’ chastising the vice presidential candidate of PDP and stated that his refusal to openly say what he would donate racked of stinginess.
Mbaka went ahead to pronounce that if Obi and his principal, Atiku continued to move in that direction (stinginess), they would end in ignominy as far as the election was concerned. The utterances of the priest led many to ask then if he was led by the spirit to say the things he did or by his own selfish desires, as if the prophecies were for sale.
Late Professor Dora Akunyili is also an example of one of Mbaka’s failed prophecies. The former NAFDAC boss had then resigned as the minister of Information and communication and was running to be the senator representing Anambra Central.
During the period of her campaigns, Akunyili of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who was running against Dr. Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had visited Mbaka at his adoration ground and was also assured of winning, after prayers, but Akunyili’s hope was dashed as Ngige sailed effortlessly to the Senate. No mention of the failure of that prophecy was heard anywhere afterwards
What made this week’s prophecy of Uzodinma’s take over in Imo the talk of the Town was that the prophecy came to pass just days after it was made.
There have been lots of reactions to the fruition of the prophecy. While many said the coming to pass of the prophecy has shown that Mbaka was a great man of God, others claimed that he might have been privy to privileged information and merely said what he had heard in the December 2019 prophecy, which predicted Uzodinma over Ihedioha.
A columnist with The Punch Newspaper, Mrs. Adelakun believed that Mbaka didn’t hear from God, while another social media commentator, Mr. Uchenna lashed out at Mbaka, saying what he calls prophecies were mere predictions, which could be made by anyone.
But as much as there were those who did not believe Mbaka, even many more others believed that Mbaka was no ordinary being, and that he couldn’t have spoken without hearing from God. One of such, Mr. Bala Adegbe said, “This prophecy has confirmed my belief about Mbaka. He is the greatest man of God now. If they like, let them believe; if they don’t, they will be surprised, when the wrath of God will come over them.”
However, as the controversy in the prophecy continues, Senator Hope uzodinma has already been sworn in and already carrying out his functions as governor. One other thing that is sure is that Mbaka has retained the confidence of a greater population of persons.
A visit to his Holy Ghost Adoration ministry in Enugu will tell anyone, who is still in doubt about his popularity. On a normal Friday, around the south Eastern states of Nigeria and even South-south and beyond, buses usually load passengers straight from all towns to the adoration centre, but with this, one can be sure that the size of the adoration centre; in landmass and population would be something else on its adoration days this year.
