I loved it when Pastor Bukola Bekes made this sound yesterday. I screamed.
RCCG Praise Team out-did themselves yesterday. No wonder Daddy Adeboye refers to them as the best choir in the whole wide world.
#MountainMovers#RCCGAnnualConvention2026#RCCG#RCCGLandmarkChurch
Fellow Nigerians, good morning.
I woke up this morning after my church service with a deeply reflective heart, and despite every constraint, I felt compelled to share these thoughts with you.
Many people do not truly understand the silent pains some of us carry daily—the private struggles, emotional burdens, and quiet battles we face while trying to survive and serve sincerely in difficult circumstances.
We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people—a society where intimidation, insecurity, endless scrutiny, and discouragement have become normal.
More painful is when some of those you associate with, believing you would find understanding and solidarity among them, become part of the pressure you face. Some who publicly identify with you privately distance themselves or join in unfair criticism.
We live in a society where humility is mistaken for weakness, respect is seen as a lack of courage, and compassion is treated as foolishness—a system where treating people equally is questioned simply because you refuse to worship status, tribe, class, or power.
Personally, I have never looked down on anyone except to uplift them. I have never used privilege, position, or resources to oppress others, intimidate the weak, or make people feel small. To me, leadership has always been about service, sacrifice, and helping others rise.
Let me state clearly: my decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me. I will continue to respect them.
However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division, instead of focusing on deeper national problems and playing politics built more on control and exclusion than on service and nation-building.
Even within spaces where one labours sincerely, one is sometimes treated like an outsider in one’s own home. You and your team become easy targets for every failure, frustration, or misunderstanding, as though honest contribution has become a favour being tolerated rather than appreciated.
And when you choose to leave so that those you are leaving can have peace, and you step out into the cold, you are still maligned and your character is questioned. Despite all your efforts to continue working for a better Nigeria and engaging people with sincerity and goodwill, those who do not wish you well continue to attack your character and question your intentions.
There are moments I ask God in prayer: Why is doing the right thing often misconstrued as wrongdoing in our country? Why is integrity not valued? Why is the prudent management of resources, especially when invested in critical areas like education and healthcare, wrongly labelled as stinginess? Why are humility and obedience to the rule of law often taken to be weakness rather than discipline?
Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be President, Vice President, or Senate President. I am desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed while going to school or work. I am desperate to see a Nigeria where people will not live in IDP camps but in their homes. I am desperate for a country where Nigerian citizens do not go to bed hungry, not knowing where their next meal will come from.
Yet, despite everything, I remain resolute. I firmly believe that Nigeria can still become a country with competent leadership based on justice, compassion, and equal opportunity for all.
A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO
As a pastor, if your church is doing well financially, if you have the best instruments, carry influence, and there is evident grace upon your ministry—if you have a strong, well-trained choir and everything seems to be working—have you ever paused to think about standing with a pastor who is still struggling?
Have you ever thought of offering more than just advice… but prayer, presence, and practical support?
The Kingdom of God was never designed to be a competition. It was designed to be a family.
Imagine taking your best worship team and sending them to a small church whose choir is still struggling—not to show superiority, but to train, encourage, and raise them. Imagine imparting skill, discipline, and spiritual depth, so that excellence spreads across the Body of Christ.
Imagine supporting a fellow pastor who is struggling to pay rent—not with criticism, but by quietly paying their bills and lifting the burden off their shoulders. Many pastors preach faith every Sunday while carrying financial pressure in silence. Sometimes what they need is not a sermon, but support.
Imagine giving out your instruments to a church that is organizing a crusade but cannot afford to hire any. Souls are at stake, and the gospel must go forth, whether or not a church has resources.
Imagine knowing that a church is planning a conference and choosing to partner with them—financially, spiritually, and logistically—so that the vision God placed in their hearts does not die because of lack.
Imagine going to minister in a struggling church without demanding honorarium, special treatment, or comfort—using your own money to fuel the assignment because you understand that ministry is not a business, but a calling.
This is Kingdom maturity.
This is what it means to be a true shepherd.
If God has blessed you, it is not only for your congregation. It is also so you can become a blessing to other pastors and churches. Grace was never meant to end with you; it was meant to flow through you.
When one part of the Body is lifted, the whole Body becomes stronger.
Let us move from isolation to collaboration. From competition to compassion. From building personal empires to advancing the Kingdom.
Because at the end of the day, it is not about whose church is bigger, louder, or richer—it is about whether Christ is being glorified and souls are being saved.
May God raise pastors who do not only carry influence, but also carry the burden of their fellow laborers in the vineyard.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
Thank you so much Avril.
It took a lot of courage for me to put this out here. I have fought this on my own for as long as I can and now need all the help I can get. Please help 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Account number: 0054727887 Access Bank John Bassey.
Condanniamo con fermezza le rinnovate violenze avvenute oggi contro le comunità cristiane in Nigeria. La libertà religiosa è un diritto inviolabile: chiediamo al governo nigeriano di rafforzare la protezione delle comunità cristiane e di tutte le comunità religiose e di perseguire i responsabili di questi efferati attacchi. L’Italia esprime tutta la sua vicinanza alle vittime e alle comunità in Nigeria che oggi si sentono in pericolo per il loro credo religioso.