The fellowship of light and darkness

The Occasion

The transmigration of Prophetess Naomi to Yeyeluwa Oodua is generating so much reaction from religious Nigerians. Everyone appear to wonder why the Christian prophetess preferred to be the wife of a traditional god-king, the Ooni of Ife, who rules the spiritual homeland of the Yoruba race.

What Fellowship Can Light Have with Darkness

She is called a hypocrite and a backslider, who prefer to ignore the admonition in 2 Cor. 6:14(Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?). She had just extinguished the lightness in her and wed the authority of traditional religious belief. Christianity and Islam are the light of Nigeria - One is the sun, the other the moon, while traditional religion is considered as darkness.

Many wonder, what attracts the Prophetess of Light to The God-King of Darkness and a serial divorcee – like her, he claim to be a committed Christian; was she carried away by the lure of royal grandeur, comfort, fame and wealth or she had foresaw the union as beneficial to propagating Christianity in the homeland of Yoruba traditional religion; or is this union a strategic move to orchestrate an Esther-like take-over of the throne of darkness by the prophetess of light.

The Children of Light

Nigerian is often designated as the most religious nation on earth, bulk of the population professing the Christian or Islamic faiths; some would even give statistics as 50% Christian and 50% Muslim or tilts the percentage to favour the one they belong, often times nothing or little as 0.0-something% is rationed for traditional religious believers.

With the exception of Wole Soyinka, most Nigeria’s elites claimed to be titanic adherents in the religions of light, with titles like Alfas, Uztazs, Prophets, Apostles, Deacons and Knights. Some are ordained ministers, clerics, priests, evangelist etcetera. But in reality, very few of them are total adherents of this faith; most practice religious syncretism, married to light but whore and romance with darkness.

Romance with Darkness

The romance with darkness is not an exclusivity of the Nigeria elite, even the masses – up to the poorest. Survival in Nigeria is a tough one, lives are dependent on fate and fortunes; to protect ones fortune, a spiritual firewall must be erected. Every day, children of light will kneel or let the forehead kiss the ground to erect higher fortress against assault on their fortunes by spiritual thieves and enemies of progress.

And when misfortune crawl in through any crevice bore by a transgression, the rest Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed (SAW) and embrace the Hosts of Traditional Power in the name their individual language ascribes. Covens and Shrines became the places of succor not Mosques and Churches.

Many Nigerians, who confess the Christian and Islamic faith also delves into, consult and patronize traditional spiritual powers; for it appears that the powers of darkness is more potent and powerful than the powers of light.

The Powers of Darkness

Most Nigerians fear traditional spiritual power, they acknowledge its potency. It delivers instant judgment, provides maximum security of lives fortunes, is the greatest fortifier and giver of instant wealth, luck and health. Good poor church or mosque people would not hesitate to consult traditional spiritual power when they cannot afford money to solve their problems and knowing that the Church rarely gives even as it takes more; traditional power which is more affordable (a mere token of kolanuts or local chicken) can protect them and their families from the attacks of “bad belles” that causes all manner of sickness from common cold to HIV AID, from bad planning and decisions that causes poverty and misfortune.

The rich and the wealthy wants to protect their lives, riches and wealth from physical and spiritual “enemies”, the bury rams, cows and sacrifices human to protect their properties and fortify their lives. Politicians engages in bizarre rituals to garner followers, keep them perpetually spellbound, perceive or uninterested while they mislead and steal.

Some frustrate justice by unleashing spiritual bugs that afflict judges thus, turning judgments in their favour. Armed personnel, from the Military to armed robbers fortifies themselves the traditional way against bullets, mortars and missiles – Swindlers, fraudsters (419, yahoo-yahoo), sacrifices animals, mutilate humans and eat shits and carcasses to be able to bring victims under spells (mugu-mutizing).

But many Nigerians are too religious to visit or enter shrines and covens. Then other solutions present themselves.

The Hybrids of Light and Darkness

But some Christians and Muslims would not dare visit or consult traditional spiritualists, due to the scandal it would generate or the shame they cannot bear. What we see is the traditional spiritualist transforming themselves into lightbearers – as Islamic clerics and Christian ministers. They are selve style Alfas, Uztaz and Marabouts, as Pastors, Prophets, Apostles and Evangelist. They open temples for casting out demons, thwarting misfortune, attracting good fortunes and predicting fortunes and good will.

They know the Quran and the Hadits and look like they love the Prophet; they quotes Bible verses and talk as if they sat with Christ on that banquet table of the last supper. Muslims and Christians alike visit them, consult them with the assurance that they had not transgressed, even when they are subjected to preposterous rituals that had no scriptural basis (Quran and Bible).

The Reality

Islam and Christianity may be the most popular religions in Nigeria, but the reality is that traditional religion is the most powerful. Adherents don’t organize crusades or big Tafsir gatherings to espouse their beliefs or engage in grandiose healing and deliverance programmes. The potency and affordability of their practices had convinced many Nigerians to patronize it, and often go for it as last resort for swift solutions and judgment.

No “religious” Nigerian in his right senses will accept this, but the syncretism cannot be overruled; at least at one point in the lives of most practicing Nigerian Muslim or Christian, they had consciously consulted and patronize the traditional spiritual powers. Many will do it again if it guarantees them security, wealth, power, comfort and whatsoever they desire, without thinking twice about Jesus or the Prophet nor the gruesomeness and fetishes of the rituals or sacrifices involve.

I wonder why we are surprise Prophetess Naomi Sikekunda Ogunwo would not want to be Olori Yeyeluwa Sikenunola.

Written by Mbuyazi Emmanuel.

Mbuyazi Emmanuel, Historian and Creative Writer, contact: , Twitter: @E_Mbuyazi