Only candidates endorsed by God will prevail in the upcoming general elections, according to Senior Pastor of Help from Above Healing and Deliverance Ministries Worldwide, Godwin Ude.

This was expressed by Ude on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

He asserted that no candidate running for any elective office at any level of government should boast of being able to run for office and win without God’s grace.

According to him, irrespective of power, position and money, leadership only comes from God who knows the hearts of men.

“The only people that will succeed in their political pursuits are those that God has given grace to and are backed by Him.

“Irrespective of the money you have, irrespective of the name you have, you must lean on God and let him drive your ambition.

“If God is not there in your political vehicle, the vehicle will crash,” he said.

According to the cleric, only God knows who is going to be the President, Governor, Senator and others.

“But it is well with all the citizens and anyone that God brought is God’s candidate and automatically our candidate, ” he said.

Ude cautioned other spiritual and religious leaders, pastors and imams not to endorse any candidate based on sentiments and beliefs, but to pray to God for the right leaders to emerge at all levels of government.

He said that man could not choose a leader for himself based on human criteria except with the grace of God.

The pastor said that some seats required experienced individuals to occupy and God’s grace was needed for such positions.

“You don’t choose who is going to govern you, God chooses the person; the right prayer for us to pray is that God should give us a leader who can lead us.

A person “who can wipe away our tears and God knows and he looks at the heart and knows the right leader.

“So, as a child of God and as a pastor, the prayer we are praying every day in our Church is that God should give us a leader, ” he said.

He said that no candidate should boast of his or her own ability to effect change in Nigeria otherwise such a person would derail in due course.

He urged Nigerians to prepare to vote in Feb. 25 polls based on the conviction of the Holy Spirit rather than on candidates’ status or the strength of the political party.

He said that God was not behind those who would buy votes, sell votes or shed blood to win elections.

“Let the Holy Spirit lead you and that is the truth of the matter, those that are waiting to collect money so they can go and vote, they have killed their tomorrow.

“God is not behind those that would buy votes or shed blood, He is not in such a race of those who would wait for money to vote.

“As wise citizens, if you really want God to fight for you, don’t collect money, vote according to your conscience, vote rightly and clear your conscience.

“Don’t let N10,000 or N20,000 buy you over from the presence of God, when God leads you, He will also direct you on who to vote for ” he said.

Ude said no one should assume the position of God by endorsing any candidate.

“God already has His own candidate who would emerge as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

NAN