Paul Adefarasin, the Senior Pastor at House on the Rock Church, has sparked a heated debate on social media following a tweet he posted early on Sunday, July 14th, expressing support for former President Donald Trump after an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania.
In his tweet, Pastor Adefarasin condemned the political violence, expressed gratitude for Trump’s survival, and extended condolences to the family of a deceased spectator and prayers for the injured.
He also applauded the Secret Service’s rapid response and commended President Biden for condemning the attempt and speaking with Trump.
Adefarasin’s full message read: “We condemn political violence in the leading democracy of the free world. We are thankful to God for the survival of former President Donald J. Trump without fatal injury. We extend our condolences to the family of the deceased spectator and offer our prayers for the injured. Our prayers remain for a speedy and total recovery of former President Trump. We applaud the rapid response of the Secret Service and are grateful that the assassination attempt failed. This allows Donald Trump to continue in the democratic process. We salute President Biden for condemning the assassination attempt and for his conversation with Donald Trump. Our prayers are with both candidates and the democratic process in America. As Africans, we draw inspiration from the American democratic process. Long live American democracy, and may God bless America.”
The incident occurred during a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, where the former President was shot at, surviving the attempt unscathed.
The reason behind the incident remains unclear, with reports suggesting the shooter was killed and the Secret Service continuing to investigate.
However, Adefarasin’s tweet did not sit well with many Nigerians on Twitter, who criticized him for not addressing political issues and violence in Nigeria with the same fervor.
One user, @afamdeluxo, pointed out: “Pastor, despite the political violence in the 2023 General elections in Lagos, where you pastor & have your headquarters, there was/has been no condemnation from you, even with video evidence and reports from EU observers. Nevertheless, carry on, sir. We all know what we are doing.”
Another user, @spotlight_abby, commented: “Just like DJ Cuppy, Mr. Paul Adefarasin shows his focus and the elections that matter to him. The political violence happening everyday and everywhere in Nigeria don’t matter. After all, Africa is just a harvest ground for resources, tithes, and offerings, for these ‘superior’ mortals.”
Similarly, @rusticfunmi noted: “You’ve never condemned:
– The electoral violence deployed during 2023 elections to rig a drug baron into power.
– The ongoing genocidal xenophobia/bigotry targeted towards a particular ethnic group.
– The killings of Christians in the North/Middlebelt. Pastor Gym. E ku ise ✊🏽”
