OTA, Ogun State — In a dramatic departure from his recent period of political neutrality, the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Dr. David Oyedepo, has launched a scathing verbal assault on the President Bola Tinubu administration, declaring point-blank: “You are not doing well.”
Speaking to a massive congregation at the Faith Tabernacle in Ota on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the man popularly known as the “Prophet of Fire” shattered his three-year hiatus from national political commentary. His outburst marks the first time since the 2023 elections that the cleric has publicly and frontally challenged the current government’s performance.
The “You Are Not Doing Well” Verdict
Bishop Oyedepo’s remarks were triggered by what he described as an attempt by the political class to “bamboozle” Nigerians into silence despite the biting economic hardship and widespread insecurity.
“You are not doing well, you are not doing well. They must tell you that you’re not doing well,” Oyedepo thundered from the pulpit. Turning to the thousands in attendance, he asked a rhetorical question that has since gone viral: “Is this government doing well?”
The congregation responded with a thunderous and unified “No!”
The Bishop argued that any leadership that cannot protect its citizens or provide a stable economy has no moral right to demand “blind loyalty” or praise. He warned that the “medical death verdict” hanging over the nation can only be reversed by truth and genuine performance, not by political propaganda.
“Where Have You Been?” — Nigerians Fire Back
While the Bishop’s supporters have hailed his return to “activist preaching,” the reaction from the broader Nigerian public has been surprisingly polarized. Many citizens, exhausted by years of economic struggle, took to social media to question the timing of the Bishop’s intervention.
- “The Silence was Deafening”:Â Critics on X (formerly Twitter) blasted the cleric for waiting three years to speak up. “We have been suffering since the removal of fuel subsidy and the floatation of the Naira. Why is the ‘Man of God’ just waking up now?” one popular commentator queried. “Is it because the 2027 elections are around the corner?”
- “Selective Activism”: Some Nigerians accused the Bishop of being “partisan,” pointing to his leaked 2023 phone conversation with Peter Obi. “He was silent during the worst of the inflation, but now that the opposition is forming a ‘Mega Party,’ he has found his voice again,” noted a Lagos-based analyst.
- “The Pulpit is for Truth”:Â Conversely, many of his followers defended him, arguing that a leader of his stature speaks only when “divinely inspired.” They insisted that his critique is a necessary “wake-up call” for a Presidency that they claim has become disconnected from the reality of the streets.
A History of Bold Broadsides
This is not the first time Oyedepo has shaken the foundations of Aso Rock. In 2018, he famously called for the resignation of former President Muhammadu Buhari, labeling him a “non-performing leader.”
The current critique is particularly significant given that President Tinubu had made several overtures to the cleric, including sending warm 71st birthday felicitations to him just months ago. By rejecting the “doing well” narrative, Oyedepo has effectively signaled that the honeymoon period between the church and the “Renewed Hope” administration is officially over.
As of Wednesday evening, the Presidency has not issued a formal rebuttal to the Bishop’s comments. However, with the 2027 election cycle already heating up, Oyedepo’s re-entry into the political arena is expected to shift the sentiments of millions of Christians across the federation.
