The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has denied reports claiming that he protested against former President Goodluck Jonathan, explaining that a viral photograph showing him carrying a placard was taken during a prayer walk in 2020.
Adeboye addressed the controversy during the church’s November 2026 Thanksgiving Service, where he dismissed claims circulating on social media that the photograph was connected to a protest against Jonathan’s administration.
The photograph shows the prominent cleric dressed in white and green while holding a placard. However, Adeboye said the image was taken during a prayer exercise organised to intercede for Nigeria, rather than a political demonstration.
Adeboye Explains Circumstances Surrounding Viral Photograph
According to the RCCG leader, the prayer walk followed a directive from the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who had called on churches to organise prayer walks for the country.
Adeboye explained that he participated in the exercise to pray for Nigeria and not to protest against any government.
“It wasn’t a protest. It was a prayer walk,” he said, recalling the circumstances surrounding the event.
The cleric maintained that the photograph had been misrepresented in reports suggesting that he carried the placard during Jonathan’s presidency.
RCCG Pastor Says Photo Was Taken During Buhari’s Administration
Adeboye also challenged the timeline attached to the photograph, noting that Jonathan left office in 2015, five years before the prayer walk took place.
He said the photograph was taken in 2020, during the second term of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I carried a placard in 2020, but the journalist twisted it to be 2015,” Adeboye said.
His explanation directly disputes reports linking the photograph to a protest against Jonathan, whose administration ended in May 2015.
Adeboye Criticises Journalist Over Report
The RCCG General Overseer criticised the journalist responsible for the report, accusing the individual of publishing a misleading account without adequately investigating the circumstances surrounding the photograph.
He recalled studying journalism-related courses at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in the 1960s, where he said he learnt about investigative journalism and the importance of verifying information before publication.
Adeboye argued that the incident demonstrated how inaccurate reports could gain public acceptance when people failed to establish the facts.
He urged journalists and other members of the creative industry to uphold professional standards by investigating claims, checking dates and confirming information before publishing reports.
Adeboye Calls for Responsible Journalism
The cleric’s remarks highlighted the importance of accurate reporting, particularly when photographs of public figures circulate on social media without sufficient context.
He maintained that the photograph should be understood in the context of the 2020 prayer walk organised in response to CAN’s call for churches to pray for Nigeria.
The controversy underscores the need to verify the original date, circumstances and purpose of images before drawing conclusions about political events or the actions of prominent religious leaders.
Watch the video of Pastor Enoch Adeboye explaining the circumstances surrounding the viral photograph and denying claims that he protested against former President Goodluck Jonathan.