Gospel cleric Apostle Femi Lazarus has asked Christians to stop mocking Apostle Arome Osayi after critics attacked the preacher’s recent sermon on Nigeria’s spiritual calling.
Lazarus posted his response on Instagram on 28 September 2026. He said believers can disagree with a preacher without tearing him down. “We can disagree while maintaining ethical boundaries,” he wrote. Lazarus said preachers will not always be right and that context matters. He called Osayi a gift to the body of Christ and described the mockery directed at him as unacceptable. He also said such attacks happen when believers criticize one another in public.
Actress and evangelist Tonto Dikeh also liked the post, in support of his call for restraint.
What happened between Verydarkman and Apostle Arome Osayi
His comments follow the saga which occurred after Apostle Arome Osayi, founder of the Remnant Christian Network, whose headquarters is in Makurdi, Benue State, delivered a sermon that began circulating on 26 September.
In the clip, he said Nigeria’s purpose is spiritual, not economic, and rejected comparisons between Nigeria and manufacturing nations such as China. “Our calling as a nation is revival,” he said.
Osayi also said Nigeria’s founding intercessors made a covenant with God through prayer, which places the country in the gospel work of the last days. He added that many Nigerians are too focused on daily survival to see this purpose. He later disabled comments on his social media page.
Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, replied in an Instagram video on 27 September. He said this style of preaching has held Nigeria back and that churches and mosques have encouraged passivity.
In his view, people who could innovate spend their days praying for miracles. VDM also defended Nigerians who go abroad to learn technical skills and return home to use them. “Is this thing we are doing really Christianity?” he asked, citing more than 100,000 churches in the country.
READ ALSO: Mercy Johnson Says Power Oil Still Uses Her Image After Contract Ended
Social commentator Solomon Buchi approached the issue from the side of morality. He asked why Nigeria still struggles with corruption, dishonesty, and poor civic conduct despite having so many churches. He recalled a time when people saw Christians as honest, and said that reputation has weakened.
Reaction online remains divided. Some social media users agree with Buchi that many Nigerians practice religion without changing their conduct. Others say prayer and practical work can go together.
