The founder of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, has said that supernatural intervention played a major role in the political success of former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking during a church service, Ibiyeomie recounted an incident involving Wike when the politician faced a legal challenge over his position as governor.
According to the cleric, Wike contacted him while he was in Israel, expressing concern about a pending judgment at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The pastor said Wike feared that the ruling might go against him after previously losing the case at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Ibiyeomie said he advised the former governor not to panic and assured him that divine intervention would occur.
He explained that after a church programme known as “Five Nights of Glory,” the court ruling eventually went in Wike’s favour.
The cleric also spoke about Wike’s re-election campaign, alleging that some political opponents had planned to manipulate the outcome in favour of another candidate, Biokpomabo Awara.
According to him, he spent time praying and even entered into a covenant with God on Wike’s behalf. He added that he made a financial offering during the process, though Wike was unaware of it at the time.
Ibiyeomie further claimed that when attempts were allegedly made to alter election results at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, an unexpected event occurred that stopped the move, which he described as another instance of divine intervention.
“Wike came, he lost in the high court case, lost in the appeal court, and judgment was already passed in the Supreme Court against him not to be governor.
“I called him, and he was shaking on phone. I was in Israel. I said, don’t fear, don’t panic. God will step in. He said, Papa, I believe. He was in PDP, APC was in power. And we are doing Five Nights of Glory.
“After Five Nights of Glory he walked up to me. Judgment was Tuesday, Five Nights of Glory was Friday. I looked at him, I said, even if judgment is against you, I command it. It was not a money problem. He never had money because it was the opposite party.
“Judgment was, he too knew judgment was already against him. They told me how the judgment will pass. And then the chief judge collected the case, changed the Supreme court judges, turned the case. He said, Papa, I knew this is God. I was the only one invited during this Thanksgiving as a priest. Listen carefully, that was not how it ended.
“The second time when he came, he was to lose the election. Already they’ve arranged how they would lose the election. And somebody walked up to me and said, you pray for Wike, we’ll see how you will win.
“Ask him any day, I won’t tell you the note he sent to me, he said, Papa, do I go off? I said, don’t go off, God will step in. He was shaken because everything was against him. And I covenanted with God. I gave millions on behalf of Wike. I didn’t tell him. I’m telling you today.
“I said, Lord, not for his sake, for my sake. Because the world will say, where is the God? itself. I said, for my sake, step in. Not because of him. And I prayed a prayer. The day they were to change the result to give to one young man called Awara, they finished the result. On the spot, something happened.
“The high commissioner stepped into INEC They couldn’t change the result. That’s how he became governor the second time.”
What you should know
Nyesom Wike served as governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023 and remains one of the most influential political figures in Nigeria’s South-South region.
His political career has been marked by several legal and electoral battles, including disputes that reached Nigeria’s Supreme Court. David Ibiyeomie is a prominent Pentecostal preacher whose church has a large following in Nigeria.
His remarks highlight the intersection of religion and politics in the country, where spiritual narratives are often linked to political developments.
