Doyin Okupe fumed on Friday morning after his 27-year-old son publicly declared that he had become a gay man.

Bolu Okupe declared himself as gay on Instagram, enraging his politician father who twice served as a presidential aide and has long professed his evangelical bona fides. 

Gay marriage has been illegal in Nigeria since 2014, despite widespread international criticism of the policy and concerted efforts to overturn it. Nigerian politicians have faced little resistance internally largely due to the country’s overwhelming conservative population.

In a series of tweets denouncing his son’s sexual orientation, Mr. Okupe said he saw harsh spiritual undertone on the matter and expressed hopes that it would be surmounted by God’s benevolence.

Read Mr. Okupe’s full statement as published on his Twitter handle below.

My attention has been drawn to a publication of my 27yr old son, Bolu okupe, in which he declared publicly that he is Gay. I gave him that name MOBA OLUWA RIN, (I WALKED WITH GOD) because he was born at the time I gave my life to Christ.

I have been aware of this his new orientation for a while now. He knows that as a Christian and a witness for Christ (an evangelist) I am vehemently opposed to homosexuality as it runs contrary to the avowed precepts of my Christian faith.

For me I look beyond the surface or the physical. Here I see a major spiritual challenge ahead but I know as my God liveth, this whole saga will end up in Praise to the Almighty Jehova who i serve day and night.

For it is written: Behold, the hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is His ear dead that he cannot hear. Isaiah 59 vs 1.