2027 Election: Did Oyedepo tag APC supporters ‘mad people’ as claimed?

2027 Election: Did Oyedepo tag APC supporters ‘mad people’ as claimed?
Image of David Oyedepo. Photo Source: The Guardian.
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Claim: An X user claimed that David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, said that the number of people who vote the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming election would determine the number of “mad people”  in Nigeria.

2027 Election: Did Oyedepo tag APC supporters ‘mad people’ as claimed?

Full Text

Bishop David Oyedepo is the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners’ Chapel, and presides over Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State.

As one of Nigeria’s prominent Christian leaders, Oyedepo has, on several occasions, made comments on governance, elections, and national development.

As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, discussions surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s administration, political parties, and the country’s political landscape have continued to gain traction online.

Amid these discussions, an X user, @honestNarrativ, posted an image of Oyedepo, claiming that the cleric said the number of people who support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming general elections would determine the number of “mad people” in Nigeria.

A quote attributed to the cleric reads, “2027 ELECTION: The number of people that will vote APC will decide the number of mad people we have.”

Similar posts were shared on Facebook and YouTube, as seen here, here, here, here, and here.

As of Sept. 23, 2026, the post generated 3,369 views, 269 likes, 175 reposts, 21 comments, and two shares. 

Most X users who reacted to the post saw it as a recent development.

“Absolutely correct, sir”, @StellaremiBern1 suggested.

“That is true”, @chiedu_omoile commented.

“Very true, my brother”, @A2canvas supported.

Because of the claim’s severity and to prevent possible disinformation, DUBAWA decided to verify the post.

Verification

DUBAWA conducted keyword searches to determine whether Oyedepo had recently made the alleged statement. 

The searches found no recent credible report from reputable news outlets indicating that he made the statement about the 2027 general elections.

However, further searches revealed that the statement has circulated since 2022, when it was widely shared ahead of the 2023 presidential election. 

Several social media users also shared the statement then. You can see it here, here, and here.

The statement, which read “the number of people that will vote APC will determine the number of mad people we have in Nigeria,” was attributed to Oyedepo during the heated political campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections. 

A report by The Nation showed that the comment also prompted a response from Kaduna-based cleric Josiah Fearon, who criticised the statement.

DUBAWA searched for the cleric’s official X account but found no official account. 

We subsequently reviewed the official X and Instagram accounts of his church, which regularly share updates and information about the cleric and the church. 

However, we found no verified record of him repeating the specific statement in any recent sermon, interview, or official church communication. DUBAWA also tried to determine whether the cleric ever made such a comment in the past, but we could not find video evidence.

Conclusion

The claim that Oyedepo recently said the number of people who support the APC in the forthcoming 2027 election would determine the number of “mad people” in Nigeria is misleading. 

While the statement has previously been attributed to Oyedepo and circulated online, available evidence shows that it has been in circulation since 2022, ahead of the 2023 general elections. We found no credible evidence that Oyedepo made the statement in connection with the 2027 elections.