Performing Power in Nigeria: Identity, Politics, and Pentecostalism

Abstract

Abimbola A. Adelakum’s work engages the most recent Christian phenomena in Nigeria, Pentecostalism, through the lens of what she calls “performing power in Nigeria.” In this book, Adelakum uses theories, concepts, and terminologies of theater, performance, and playwriting to discuss the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria. With the growth and expansion of Pentecostalism since Nigeria’s independence, humanities scholars have been interested in knowing more about the historical evolution of the Christian movement and its confluence with military regimes, politics, health and diseases, identity, Islam, indigenous religions, and other Christian groups, among them the Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, and African Independent Churches. Adelakum’s work responds to some of the questions scholars have been raising, emphasizing power performance. Adelakum describes herself as an insider to Pentecostalism, having been part of it while growing up in Nigeria. Perhaps Adelakum’s book title may give the impression that her book examines miracle performances in the Pentecostal movement of Nigeria, but the main argument of the book stems from how power is generated, practiced, and performed or circulated as in theater art. She puts the Nigerian Pentecostal movement alongside play, drama, and movie performances. Adelakum explains that when conducting this research among Pentecostal pastors and their members in Nigeria, most of them rejected her usage of the word “performance” to describe their religious rituals. In their perception, “performance” sounds unrealistic and casual; instead, spiritual phenomena and religious rituals should be taken as sacrosanct. Notably, while Nigeria is one of the leading centers of Pentecostalism globally, it is not the only country permeated by Pentecostalism; many developing countries are becoming more charismatic and Pentecostal in their Christian beliefs and practices.Throughout the book, Adelakum references two examples from a popular 1993 Nigerian Christian TV show presented by Mount Zion Faith Ministries International. Many series from Mount Zion have scenes of the devil and an angel, a pastor, and an African indigenous religion priest. The episodes mostly show some power encounters between the two opposing groups. The pastor is always depicted as the victor who defeats the devil through prayers or converts the African indigenous religious priest. Although this is a performance, it exemplifies what happens and how power is characterized in Nigerian Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism projects many forms of power: spiritual power, political power, and power related to identity struggles. Powers are displayed in how the pastors project themselves through excess wealth accumulation, building cathedrals, seeking political representation, and attending regular Christian meetings.Looking at the history of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, Adelakun opines that the movement became stronger during the period from 1970 to 1980. Like Olufemi Vaughan, she explains that most Pentecostal churches are an offshoot of African Independent Churches, such as Aladura and Christ Apostolic Churches. Adelakum points out that Nigerian Pentecostalism has a residue of the African indigenous religion’s use of power, generation of power, and emphasis on power. However, she said most Pentecostal adherents dislike being associated with what they describe as “pagan religions.” In the last chapter of her book, where she talks about names and naming in the Pentecostal movement, she compares how naming is done in the African indigenous religions of the Yoruba people with how it is done in the Pentecostal movement. Adelakum observes a continuation and overlap of many Independent and Pentecostal church names. Adelakum also notes that the Nigerian Pentecostal movement emerged from Nigerian Christians’ economic and political struggles in the 1980s when corruption became widespread and deep in the Nigerian military regimes, and the suffering of the ordinary people became unbearable. Nigerian Christians started transitioning to a religious practice that gives them hope in the present life instead of waiting for the life to come. Pentecostalism emphasizes prayer and charismatic spirituality to provide a Christian power-filled feeling.Adelakum also notes that from the late 1970s to 1999, most military heads of state of Nigeria were Northern Nigerian Muslims, including Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, and Abdusalami Abubakar. This brought much dissatisfaction among Nigerian Christians since Nigeria is a multireligious country. In the wake of Nigeria’s return to democratic rule after the death of Abacha, Christians mobilized and supported the candidacy of General Olusegun Obasanjo. When Obasanjo became the president of Nigeria, he aligned himself with Pentecostal Christianity; Adelakum describes him as a member. Obasanjo also appointed many Pentecostals into his cabinet. Through their representation in government, Pentecostal pastors continue to generate, circulate, and display their power in politics, sometimes with anti-Muslim sentiments. A number of them prophesy about elections and future events in Nigerian politics.Adelakum describes an enormous backlash in their power performance through politics in 2015, when incumbent Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, was defeated at the polls by the Northern Muslim candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. As president, Jonathan was loved by Pentecostal churches because he spent time visiting their churches. The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria at the time was also from the Pentecostal tradition. Many pastors prayed and prophesied for his victory in the 2015 election, but, to their dismay, he lost. According to Adelakum, this disappointment made many Pentecostal adherents look to U.S. politics, as they see the United States is one of the strongholds of Christianity worldwide. By 2019, many Pentecostal adherents became ardent supporters of Donald Trump. They saw him as a Christian representative worldwide who would fight against anti-Christian movements and groups in a country like Nigeria. Trump, therefore, had many supporters in Nigeria, though he may have been unaware of them.Adelakum also discusses another setback Nigerian Pentecostal churches faced in 2020 with Covid-19. Covid-19 surprised many Pentecostal ministers, and they could not do anything about it, despite their claim to perform signs and wonders. Many Nigerian Christians remain surprised at how such a global epidemic occurred without God showing it to Pentecostal ministers who claim to be prophets. And at the height of the pandemic, along with many people around the world, many Nigerians became afraid, especially with the projection that Covid-19 would kill many people in Africa. For some time, most of them closed down their churches and only met online. None of them prophesied how Covid would end. This silence from Pentecostal ministers has raised questions among the faithful, just as the electoral losses of Goodluck Jonathan and Donald Trump did.Adelakum’s book is worth reading to understand Pentecostal pastors’ power generation, circulation, and performance in Nigeria, as it manifests through their Christian identity, national and global politics, technology, and social media. Adelakum’s work differs from many earlier works, as she is able to include commentary on Covid-19, the 2020 U.S. election, and recent sociopolitical issues in Nigeria. Her work also stands out because about half of the text is made up of interview material and ethnographic research. I wish she had discussed more of the historicity of the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria before 1970, as Olufemi Vaughan, Toyin Falola, and Matthew Heaton have done.