The recent face off between the presidency, the CBCN and Cardinal Onaiyakan shows that the Church has the prophetic power to challenge and possibly transform Nigerian political landscape. ‎Perhaps rescue it from its unfortunate quagmire. ‎ ‎What bishops, priests and religious needs is prophetic courage, accountability and transparency. Who say we are not capable of changing this country. Unfortunately, ours has been a culture of silence, accomplice and sometimes neutrality. Soon our governors will begin to visit our presbyteries, diocese, walking sanctimoniously in our church naves and genuflecting solemnly in our altars. ‎ ‎I saw a viral video of one governor dancing humbly at the altar in one adoration ground. Yet this same man has been marred in controversial appointment that favours cronies, substandard delivery of insfrastructures and a scandalous money laundering heist running close to billions of naira. ‎ ‎Some of us who should condemn and hold this people responsible are now calculating how to shift our suppport to candidates with heavy pockets and not the ones whose hearts are burdened by the plights of the people. ‎ ‎A priest who travelled with cardinal Onaiyakan told me how Nigerians: Muslim, Christians, traditionalists and possibly atheist flocked to him in the airport weeping ,embracing him and thanking him for speaking for them, for being the voice of the voiceless. ‎ ‎I will give the example of bishop Kpodzro, the deceased archbishop of Lome, Togo whose prophetic voices challenged the repressive regime and dynasty of Eyadema in Togo, bishop of Guinea, Bishop Raymond-Marie Tchidimbo, whom cardinal Sarah in his work ‘’God or nothing’’ gave a detailed and pictorial presentation of his resistance against the oppressive and autocratic regime of Ahmed Sekou Toure. ‎ ‎Both were shapers of democratic values and resistance in their country. I was in Togo in 2019 when he called for protest and how the whole country stood in silence after his arrest. Today the catholic church in Togo is well respected by everyone because of Bishop Kpodzro and the church image of leading civil resistance and opposition against this oppressive government. ‎ ‎Although Guinea is a majority Muslim country, there is no political conversation and nation building that doesn’t involve Catholic Church today. Cardinal Sarah himself is well consulted by the Guinea government even though majority of the functionaries including the president are Muslims. ‎ ‎This is thanks to the legacy of their bishops and priests considered today as founding fathers. Both bishops Tchibimdo and Kpodzro were imprisoned respectively by Sekou Toure and Eyedema and Sarah himself nearly escaped assasination by Sekou Toure. ‎ ‎What have we been doing in Nigeria until recently? ‎ ‎Entering into unholy alliance for material and short term gain. Nigeria is bleeding. Our parishioners are hungry, humiliated by the economic hardship and stripped naked by poverty and cruel economic policy that favores the rich and political class. ‎ ‎It’s time every priest should answer the moral question: are we for Barabas or for the one who will save Nigeria. I leave you to provide the answer. ‎ ‎Yet the responsibility still falls on us to lend our prophetic calling to change the country.