Why are people attacking Apostle Arome Osayi? What he said, past controversies and his stand now
Apostle Arome Osayi, founder of the Remnant Christian Network, is facing growing criticism after comments about Nigeria’s purpose, economic development and spiritual calling sparked a heated online debate.
What began with a sermon about Nigeria’s national assignment has now expanded into arguments about religion, poverty, technology and the role of Christianity in society.
VeryDarkMan (VDM), Solomon Buchi and Dr Abel Damina have all challenged different parts of Arome’s message. Other Christian leaders have also defended him and criticised some of the personal attacks against him.
Here is what Apostle Arome Osayi said, why the comments triggered an outburst, the other controversies that have followed him and where he stands now.
What did Apostle Arome say about Nigeria?
The controversy began after a sermon by Arome at the International Eagles Conference (IEC) 2026 circulated online.
Arome argued that Nigerians should not measure the country’s destiny mainly through economic output, manufacturing or technology.
He used China as an example. China has built a major manufacturing and technology base, while Nigeria often attracts attention for its strong prayer culture.
Arome said the comparison misses what he considers Nigeria’s spiritual assignment.
“Our calling as a nation is revival. God wants to generate something from here that He will export to the nations of the world,” he said.
He also described Nigeria as a key player in what he called end-time matters.
Arome said Nigerians were too focused on the naira and political power. He urged them to look beyond those issues and recognise what he described as the country’s wider spiritual purpose.
The comments quickly drew criticism.
Some Nigerians questioned the message because the country continues to face economic hardship, unemployment, poor infrastructure and other social problems.
The central question became whether spiritual revival should take priority in discussions about Nigeria’s development.
Why did VeryDarkMan attack Arome?
VDM became one of the loudest critics of Arome’s message.
He argued that Nigeria’s strong culture of prayer has not produced the level of technological and economic progress seen in countries such as China.
VDM also questioned the apparent contradiction between Arome’s message and his family’s relocation to the United States.
He pointed to America’s technology and business culture. He referenced entrepreneurs such as Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk while arguing that innovation and practical action have helped drive development.
The disagreement later became personal.
VDM mocked Arome’s facial palsy while criticising his sermon. That part of the attack drew another wave of criticism.
Some Christian voices argued that people could challenge Arome’s ideas without mocking his physical condition. VDM, however, defended his approach and continued to question Arome’s message.
The dispute also prompted discussions about whether a preacher should be open to public criticism because of his position and influence.
What did Solomon Buchi say?
Solomon Buchi approached the controversy from another direction.
Rather than focusing mainly on Arome’s comparison between Nigeria and China, Buchi questioned the impact of Christianity on Nigerian society.
Nigeria has a large Christian population and a huge number of churches. Yet the country still struggles with corruption, dishonesty and poor civic conduct.
Buchi therefore questioned what the country’s Christian identity should produce in practical terms.
His argument widened the debate.
The issue was no longer only about whether Nigeria is called to revival. It became a question about whether spiritual transformation should also affect the way people conduct business, hold public office and treat other citizens.
Abel Damina challenges Arome’s theology
Dr Abel Damina also entered the debate, but his criticism focused more on theology.
Damina challenged Arome’s claim that Nigeria has a special spiritual assignment to export revival to other nations.
He referred to Ephesians 4:4 and questioned the idea of assigning a unique spiritual calling to one nation.
His argument was different from VDM’s.
While VDM focused on development and practical action, Damina questioned the biblical basis for Arome’s interpretation of Nigeria’s role.
Damina also addressed the criticism surrounding Arome’s facial palsy. His intervention brought scripture into a debate that had increasingly moved from theology to personal attacks.
The disagreement is significant because Damina is not simply an outsider commenting on the dispute. He and Arome have disagreed over theological issues before.
Damina and Arome have disagreed before
The latest argument is not the first time Damina has challenged Arome.
An older video of Damina resurfaced during the current controversy. In it, he criticised Arome’s teaching about tithing in eternity.
Arome had taught that the principle of honour associated with the Melchizedek priesthood would mean believers could continue giving tithes in eternity.
Damina rejected the teaching.
He questioned the idea that believers would still pay tithes after this earthly life. He also described the teaching as superstition and urged Christians to examine such claims through scripture.
The old disagreement gained renewed attention because of the current dispute.
It also showed that the criticism of Arome does not come from one side of the religious divide. Some of the questions about his teachings have come from fellow Christian preachers.
Arome’s previous controversy involving TB Joshua
The latest backlash has also revived an older controversy involving the late Prophet T.B. Joshua.
In videos that resurfaced, Arome strongly criticised an unnamed cleric. He described the person as a false prophet whose ministry operated through what he called the spirit of divination rather than the Holy Spirit.
Although the person was not named in the circulating clips, the remarks were linked online to T.B. Joshua.
The issue became more controversial after Joshua’s death in 2021.
Arome faced criticism for comments that questioned Joshua’s prophetic legitimacy and the way some people viewed his ministry. In 2023, Prophet Ikechukwu Samuel, a protégé of T.B. Joshua, publicly condemned Arome over the remarks.
Samuel accused Arome of describing Joshua as a soothsayer and questioning his status as a man of God.
The old episode has now returned to the conversation.
Critics are using it to question Arome’s treatment of other ministers. They are also comparing those earlier comments with the criticism he is receiving today.
Daddy Freeze has also questioned why some Christian leaders defending Arome now did not challenge him over his earlier comments about T.B. Joshua.
There is, however, an important distinction.
Arome did not name T.B. Joshua in every resurfaced clip. The identification of the unnamed preacher came from subsequent reports and online discussions. It should therefore be presented with that context.
The ₦1 million donation controversy
Another old video has added a separate issue to the debate.
A resurfaced clip showed Arome asking willing members of his congregation to give ₦1 million each within five minutes.
According to reports on the video, Arome presented the amount as a specific instruction he had received. He also rejected smaller amounts.
The footage generated fresh questions about religious fundraising.
Some Nigerians questioned the use of a claimed divine instruction to request a specific amount from church members.
The controversy emerged while the dispute over Nigeria’s national calling was already growing. It therefore became another issue that critics used to examine Arome’s teachings and methods.
Arome’s comments on speaking in tongues
Another older statement has also returned to public attention.
In a previous teaching, Arome said that a person who reached 21 without speaking in tongues for six hours was living a “joke” of a life.
The comment generated criticism over whether speaking in tongues should serve as a measure of someone’s spiritual standing.
The old statement has gained renewed attention because of the current backlash.
Critics have used it alongside his other teachings to question some of the standards he sets for Christian practice.
The Joshua Selman comparison
The controversy has also brought Apostle Joshua Selman into the conversation.
A separate message from Selman resurfaced after the Arome sermon went viral.
In the clip, Selman emphasised practical effort, business and the church’s relationship with economic activity.
The two messages were then compared online.
Arome stressed Nigeria’s spiritual calling and revival. Selman’s message placed greater emphasis on practical action and economic productivity.
The comparison widened the debate among Nigerian Christians.
Some began asking whether spiritual revival and economic development should be treated as competing priorities. Others argued that both can exist together.
There is no indication that Selman released his message as a direct response to Arome. The comparison came mainly from social media users who placed the two separate sermons side by side.
What has Arome said in response?
Arome has not withdrawn his position on Nigeria’s spiritual calling.
Instead, he has argued that the viral clip was taken out of context.
He said the widely shared footage was only a short portion of a longer message. According to Arome, removing a statement from its original context can change how people understand the speaker’s actual message.
He also acknowledged that he is not a perfect man.
However, he maintained that ministers should follow a proper standard when communicating God’s Word.
As the criticism intensified, Arome disabled comments on his social media page.
He has continued with his ministry activities despite the backlash.
That suggests the controversy has not caused him to abandon his central message about Nigeria’s spiritual role.
Where does the controversy stand now?
The controversy around Apostle Arome Osayi has moved beyond the original question of whether Nigeria is called to revival.
His comments have opened several arguments.
One concerns whether Nigeria’s spiritual identity should sit at the centre of discussions about its economic problems.
Another asks whether Christianity should produce stronger social and economic results in a country with such a large Christian population.
There is also a wider argument about how religious leaders should respond when their teachings face public scrutiny.
VDM has focused mainly on development and what he sees as the practical consequences of Arome’s message.
Solomon Buchi has questioned the social and moral impact of Christianity in Nigeria.
Damina has challenged the theological basis of Arome’s claim about Nigeria’s national calling.
Other Christian figures have defended Arome while condemning personal attacks against him.
For Arome himself, the central message remains largely unchanged.
He maintains that Nigeria has a significant spiritual role. He has also argued that the viral clip did not present the full context of his teaching.
The debate is therefore no longer about one sermon alone.
It has become a wider conversation about faith, national development, Nigerian Christianity and the responsibility of religious leaders when their teachings attract public criticism.