Joshua Bamiloye, son of drama evangelist Mike Bamiloye, has expressed his disapproval of Peter Obi’s remarks regarding church vigils.
Mr Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party last year, said during a recent appearance on the Honest Bunch Podcast that Nigeria should prioritise productivity by limiting church vigils.
He said politics and church are the most attractive things in Nigeria at the moment.
“We are going to turn night vigil into night shift so that people can be productive.
“I go to church and believe in God but we can’t have it that people Monday to Friday, be in church morning and night,” he said.
Bamiloye, however, took to X on Saturday night to voice his disagreement, asserting that targeting vigils distracts from more significant systemic issues at play.
He pointed out that vigils usually occur on Friday nights, right before the weekend, and questioned why other social events like comedy shows and concerts are not held to the same scrutiny.
“So now vigils are the reason Nigeria isn’t productive? Boy, the mentality of blaming church attendance for Nigeria’s problems is a very misguided one and, at best, an insult,” he wrote.
“Vigils are commonly held on Fridays, right before the weekend. If we want to be productive, why not also ban recreational events, comedy shows, concerts—in fact, ban every social gathering.
“The hot weather seems to have corroded some minds to the point that they fail to think clearly and address the real problems.”
