Apostle Johnson Suleman is the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, with headquarters in Auchi, Edo State. In a sermon on Sunday, March 13, 2016, Suleman had declared that either El Rufai reversed his unconstitutional religious preaching law or he would. Again on Sunday, March 27, 2016 Suleman made another declaration in which he branded El Rufai, the ‘Herod of Kaduna’ and declared that he would die.
In an interview with The Punch, El Rufai challenged Suleman, a prophet made famous by his prophesy against Kogi politicians. He questioned the authenticity of Suleman as prophet and challenged Suleman to mention the date he (El Rufai) would die if “truly he is a prophet of God”.
“I have not seen anyone talking about Islam actually. Most of the people that say I would die, as if I would not die, are people who call themselves Christian clergy. Of course, I will die. If that apostle is truly an apostle, he should mention the day I will die,” El Rufai said.
The governor has come under immense attack from Christian clergy around the country with prayer meetings held across the country over his plans to demolish a Christian community, Gbagyi in Kaduna. He maintained in the interview that he is not preventing freedom of worship or targeting Christians.
“There is nothing in that law that prevents or infringes the practice of religion. It seeks to ensure that those that preach religion are qualified, trained and certified by their peers to do it. And some sections of the media have made it as if the law was drafted against Christianity.
“It is most irresponsible and I have nothing to say except to leave the matter to God.”
Legal analysts have said that the religious preaching law is unconstitutional, it infringes on freedom of worship, and that it would be thrown out if challenged at the Supreme Court.
Another emerging Christian preacher, Dr. Chris Okafor, has also issued an ultimatum to Governor El Rufai to either retrieve his Religious Preaching Bill or face the wrath as God as Herod in the Bible did. Speaking at his Liberation City Church headquarters on Sunday, March 20, 2019, Okafro said, “El Rufai, Herod, leave the church alone!”
Both Suleman and Okafor have declared that El Rufai was only being sent to test run the religious bill – which they strongly believe is anti-Christianity – and that once he succeeded, other states in Northern Nigeria would institute the bill to legitimize the persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria. They maintain this bill is part of a larger plan to Islamize Nigeria.
Last week, El Rufai has confirmed to the press that other Northern Governors have requested copies of his religious preaching bill with the view of replicating them in their states.
Open Doors, an organisation that tracks the persecution of Christians around the world, reports that 3 million Christians have fled their homes in Northern Nigeria over prosecution by the Islamist terrorism and attacks from Muslims.
The controversial religious bill makes it an offence to bill the preaching of an “unlicenced” preacher in a car and says that music cannot be played in a church event between the hours of 8pm and 8am. It also provides for a 2 year sentence for people who preach in Kaduna without a license.
