By Olakunle Olafioye

in the next few days, a number of Nigerian pastors will hit the country with fresh revelations about what the incoming year has in store for the nation as usual. Indeed, certain events in the outgoing year, to some extent, seem to confirm the view that Nigeria is blessed with genuine men of God, whose prophecies have continued to provide divine guidance for the nation and its people.
Earlier in year, Nigerians were bombarded with predictions on what the year had in store for the nation. And with the year coming to an end, a review of some events and occurrences during the year, to a large extent, confirmed the veracity of some of these prophetic claims, just as a few other predictions literally hit the bar.
An Ibadan-based minister of the gospel and Presiding Bishop of Divine Seed of God Chapel Ministries, Prophet Wale Olagunju, hit the bull’s eye with a number of predictions released in his 51-point prophecy for the year. Notable among his predictions, which came to fulfillment include his prophecy on the crisis within the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as well as his prediction on the late Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I, who died in April.
The man of God had called on Nigerians to pray for the late Oba of Benin, who eventually passed away in April at the age of 92.
However, in sharp contrast to his prediction on the late Benin monarch, his prediction on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he said had completed his earthly mission, failed the test. “Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has completed his divine assignment on the planet earth,” the Prophet had foretold. A similar prophecy was released by Prophet Joshua Iginla of Champions Royal Assembly.
Although, he was not specific about the ex-president in question, the Abuja-based pastor who rightly predicted the fallouts of the political situation in Rivers where he equally foretold that the occupant of the governorship seat would retain the position.  He predicted victory for the ruling party in Edo State thus: “We should pray for one of our ex-presidents because I see him packing his bag and leaving us. Don’t forget I said it last year but God is giving him grace but I am seeing it again.”
The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, equally caught the attention of some clerics who gave jolting revelations about his health and his relationship with his principal. But while the correctness or otherwise of these prophecies could not be easily ascertained, a prediction about the disappearance of the vice president clearly hit the bar.
Prophet Muyideen Kasali, the General Overseer of the Hour of Mercy Prayer Ministry, had urged Nigerians to pray for the vice president against being declared missing after attending a meeting. “Pray for Nigeria’s vice president so that enemies would not triumph over him. So that he won’t get missing after leaving a meeting,” the cleric had declared.
Notwithstanding his gaffe in his prediction about the VP, the man of God hit the bull’s eye with a number of other predictions he made. Notable among these was his prediction on the futility of repositioning the nation’s oil sector and the failure of the president to successfully fix the country.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has good plans for Nigerians but would only achieve one and a half unless Nigerians pray for him. “Buhari called a meeting on repairing all the refineries, and Nigerians were jubilating but nothing happened in that sector till the year ended,” he predicted.
Last week, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State took a swipe at the cleric who had predicted his impeachment. The governor who described himself as God’s project said negative prophecies against him would fail.
Prophet Olagunju had claimed that Fayose’s days as Ekiti State governor were numbered. “For equating former President Jonathan with our Lord Jesus Christ, God said Fayose’s days as Ekiti State governor are numbered. God said He has torn his government and given it to whom He wants, and the government will henceforth be moving from one crisis to another until he gets out of office.
“The controversial governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, will end up in failure if he fails to pray now, for God revealed him to me in handcuff,” the cleric had revealed.
Reacting to the prediction, the governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said: “God knows everything and for Ekiti and her people, we are going forward and with God all things are possible. In January this year, a cleric said I would be removed in 2016 and I am still here by God’s grace. On April 22, 2015, somebody said myself and Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State would be removed from office, but am still here.
“My enemies can’t change my destiny. I am God’s project and all that He plans for my life will come to pass, no matter how bitter some people feel. Anybody with a negative prophecy against me and this state will fail. We won’t lose any battle in Ekiti.”
That the Nigeria football made appreciable impact in 2016 might have not come to many soccer enthusiasts as a huge surprise as Pastor Chris Okotie had foretold this. He made a two-sided prediction for the Nigeria football when he predicted the return of the nation’s soccer to the path of glory as well as tragedy for Nigerian football.
“The lost glory of the Nigeria football history will come back this year. The football atmosphere known as giant of Africa will be back because more victories will be recorded this year.
“Nigerians should come together and pray against football tragedy. I saw a situation where a number of people were together watching or wanting to watch a football match and there was an explosion, leaving many people dead, only prayer can avert this tragedy because with God all things are possible,” he foretold.
But while there is ample evidence to confirm his first prediction for the nation’s soccer, his prophecy on the possibility of explosion killing soccer fans at a match venue fell flat as no such incident was recorded in the country.
Occurrences with semblance of tragedy in the nation’s soccer in the year were the death of two former coaches of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi and Amodu Shuaibu. The two former coaches died within the space of three days, a development that shook the nation’s soccer to its very foundation in the outgoing year.