Democracy Day in Nigeria

May 29th ,2017

…Beyond Buhari’s Absence. God   Cares for Nations…1.

Democracy is about the People

Posted by Ambassador T. Brikins

General Muhamadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who has been ailing was absent today as the nation celebrates its Democracy Day... The Vice- President Professor Yemi Osibanjo   marked their two years in power. However, the reason for democracy Day in Nigeria is beyond personalities. It is about Nigeria as a nation.It is about the well being of Nigerians.

Democracy Day is a public holiday in Nigeria held annually on the 29th of May.  The  public holiday celebrates  the restoration of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when General  Olusegun Obasanjo took office as the President of Nigeria in May 1999,   ‘’ending multiple decades of military rule that began in 1966 and had been interrupted only by a brief period of democracy from 1979 to 1983.’’

President Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo of Nigeria

But what Is Democracy?

Kim Ann Zimmermann, who is a contributor to, Live Science   defines democracy in these words. ‘’Compared to dictatorships, oligarchies, monarchies and aristocracies, in which the people have little or no say in who is elected and how the government is run, a democracy is often said to be the most challenging form of government, as input from those representing citizens determines the direction of the country. The basic definition of democracy in its purest form comes from the Greek language: The term means “rule by the people.” But democracy is defined in many ways — a fact that has caused much disagreement among those leading various democracies as to how best to run one’’

So, the realization of the concept of democracy must also focus on the role the people could play to enforce an ideal democracy. Christians have tremendous authority and power to enforce the ideals of democracy in their nations. Mathew 18:18,19, says,’’…whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven…if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven’’.

This power to deal with demons is not only limited to the prayer of agreement alone but also to the individual as in Mark 11:17. ‘’…In my name shall they cast out devils…’’.

Therefore, beyond the absence of Buhari and this celebrations is the intention of God for nations of the earth.

The United Nations recognizes 193 member nations. There are also some independent countries such as the Vatican City and Kosovo that are independent and are not members of the United Nations.

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia reports that, ‘’As of the early 21st century, Christianity has approximately 2.4 billion adherents, out of about 7.2 billion people’’.

‘’Christianity is the predominant religion in Europe, Russia, the Americas, the Philippines, East Timor, Southern Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and Oceania.[7] There are also large Christian communities in other parts of the world, such as Indonesia, Central Asia and the Middle East, where Christianity is the second-largest religion after Islam. The United States has the largest Christian population in the world, followed by Brazil and Mexico. [8]

‘’Christianity, in one form or another, is the state religion of the following 15 nations: Argentina (Roman Catholic Church),[9] Armenia (Armenian Apostolic Church) Tuvalu (Church of Tuvalu), Tonga (Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga), Costa Rica (Roman Catholic Church),[10] Kingdom of Denmark (Danish National Church),[11] England (Church of England),[12] Greece (Eastern Orthodox Church), Georgia (Eastern Orthodox Church),[13][14] Iceland (Church of Iceland),[15] Liechtenstein (Catholic Church),[16] Malta (Catholic Church),[17] Monaco (Catholic Church),[18] Vatican City (Catholic Church),[19] and Zambia.[20]’’.

Nigeria as at 2012 had 72,881,000 Christians. This represents from 40% to 58% of the population. If God cares and have intentions and goals for nations, the above number must be significant to deliver since God works through human beings.

What is God’s Intention or goal for the Nations?

God is the king over all Nations

‘’…O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in Heaven, and do You not rule over all the Kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You’’ 2 Chronicles 20:6.

Because He is king who possesses the might that no person or government can resist, we must look up to Him for direction our fix our nations.

This is critical against the background of many leaders who have made gods of idols, science, politics, intellectualism etc. But rightful due belongs to the True God, Who is, ‘’… King of the nations.

For among all the wise men of the nations,

And in all their kingdoms,

There is none like you’’. ‘’The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens’’. Jeremiah 10:7, 11

God’s goal is to bless every nation

But He choose to do this through Israel.  Speaking to Abraham, the Patriarch of the nation of Israel, He said, ‘I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’’. Genesis 12:2, 3.

‘’In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice’’. Genesis 22:18

Christians are the spiritual seed of Abraham. Whatever nation they are God intends to bless such nations.

God Desires salvation for all nations

Way back in the Psalms more than 600 years before the birth of Christ, He prophesied that, ‘’All the ends of the world

Shall remember and turn to the Lord.

And all the families of the nations

Shall worship before You.

For the Kingdom is the Lord’s,

And He rules over the nations’’. Psalms 22:27, 28

‘’That Your way may be known on earth,

Your salvation among all nations’’. Psalms 67:2

‘’Look to Me and be saved,

All you ends of the earth!’’. Isaiah 45:22

‘’The Lord has made bare His holy arm

In the eyes of all the nations;

And all the ends of the earth shall see

The salvation of our God’’. Isaiah 52:10

God calls the Nations   to salvation

Salvation is a means to preserve from harm or unpleasantness. Theologically speaking, it is’ ’the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil’’. This was the case of Nineveh when Jonah preached there. The king of Nineveh took advantage of the salvation that Jonah’s preaching brought to deliver his nation from a destructive evil. ‘’Then the word came to the King of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.

And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,

…let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is I his hands.

‘’Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it’’. Jonah 3:6, 7,8,10.

The economic, social, etc disasters that many nations are experiencing today are as the result of evil works being perpetrated by men in and out of government. But the need for truth among political leaders cannot be over emphasized. This tribe of people labour under the weight of insincerity and lack of good conscience.

Kenneth Copeland...Age is no barrier to the Great Commission

God needs the Gospel to be preached in all nations

The Gospel is not essentially about denominationalism. It is about the power of God to effect His rule in men’s affairs. The evil in the world is no doubt inspired by dark unseen forces but this has been handled by God for us who has delivered us from the power of the kingdom.

‘’And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’’. Matthew 24:14

‘’Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’’. Amen. Matthew 28:19, 20

‘’ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me IN Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’’. Acts 1:8

The Apostles accomplished God’s Desire in their Time by Preaching  in all nations

Out of obedience the Apostles did not consider their insignificant number of 12 against the establishment. ‘Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ’’In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him’’. Acts 10:34, 35.

The Church consist of all Nations

‘’ And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priest to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.’’ Revelation 5:9, 10

Next Post

How the Impact of Christianity can Deliver the Ideals of Democracy for Positive Development 2