The Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, Dr David Olaniyi Oyedepo, has again dismissed speculation about his possible entry into partisan politics, saying no amount of money could persuade him to deviate from his spiritual calling.
Oyedepo spoke during the impartation service at the church’s annual convocation, Shiloh 2025, where he addressed members on the role of the church amid national and global challenges.
He said his position on politics had remained unchanged over the years, stressing that partisan engagement was outside his assignment.
“In 2015, I warned the church that trouble was coming. Didn’t trouble come?” he said.
He added, “Partisan politics is off my calling. If you give me $1 billion to join politics, I won’t, because it’s off my course.”
The cleric urged members of the church to remain focused on what he described as their God-given areas of influence, rather than seeking relevance through political power.
According to him, the responsibility of believers is to exert impact through spiritual leadership and practical solutions rooted in faith.
“The world is groaning in darkness, but as embedded in Romans 8:19, the world is waiting for the earnest manifestations of the children of God,” Oyedepo said.
He also spoke on what he described as the emergence of a new phase of spiritual engagement, in which believers would play active roles in addressing societal problems without necessarily holding political office.
“The army of God is about to emerge to proffer solutions to national crises in the order of Joseph and Daniel,” he said. “It is the day of what eyes have not seen or ears heard.”
Oyedepo’s remarks come against the backdrop of recurring public debate over the involvement of religious leaders in politics, particularly during periods of economic and social uncertainty.
He maintained, however, that his focus remains on spiritual leadership and preparing believers to make impact within their respective vocations.
Meanwhile, Oyedepo, earlier in the week, announced that Covenant University, affiliated with Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners Chapel, is set to launch its Medical School and Law faculty.
Established in 2002 by Oyedepo, Covenant ranks as Nigeria’s top university in the 2025 Times Higher Education World Rankings (801-1000 globally), renowned for high graduate employability in tech and engineering.
According to a recent report, the faculties will help to address Nigeria’s doctor shortage (1 per 2,500 people per WHO data) and legal education gaps, with construction starting in September 2025 to enable quality training supported by existing infrastructure.
The report added that Covenant University has planned and begun processes to launch new Medical and Law Faculties, with construction announcements and budget allocations made in early 2023 and ongoing updates into late 2025.
