Reverend Yinka Yusuf, the lead pastor of a Lagos-based church, Household of Love Churches, alleged that he was forced to cancel a one-million-man crusade by the two associations despite investing millions of naira in transporting equipment to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the planned venue of the event.
While apologising to the 5,000 evangelists he claimed were heading to Nigeria from the United States of America, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Namibia, he said the Christian bodies also compelled the Akwa Ibom State Government to withdraw approval for the use of a venue he already paid for.
But the Akwa Ibom State Government, in a rebuttal, accused Yusuf of hate speech, threatening to take legal action against him and demanding proof of the invitees.
The allegations are coming barely two months after the President of the Word Assembly Ministries, Rev. Isaac Omolehin, also accused PFN of hypocrisy and hostility.
● The issues
The Christian Association of Nigeria is the umbrella body representing the interests of all denominations in Nigeria — Catholic, Protestant, Anglican and other blocs.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, on the other hand, is a specialised umbrella organisation representing Pentecostal and Charismatic churches across the country.
Yusuf, while announcing the cancellation of the ‘Uyo One Million Crusade’ in a Facebook post on Friday, said it was regrettable that the crusade, scheduled for February 9 to 15, would no longer hold.
He alleged that CAN and PFN insisted he reschedule the seven-day programme because of another event featuring a Kenyan prophet.
Yusuf said the Kenyan prophet crusade was not on the same days as his, questioning CAN and PFN’s insistence that his event be shifted.
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According to him, the state government, in a letter by the agency that manages public facilities, withdrew an earlier approval of Ibom Hall for his crusade, citing “security concerns” and the “prevailing security situation in the state.”
The letter, dated January 27, was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Akwa Ibom Property and Investments Company Limited, Patrick Udomfang.
The cleric claimed he had paid the state government for the use of the hall, accusing the government of bowing to pressure from CAN and PFN.
“We have come to the end of the road for Uyo. The government, PFN, and CAN have insisted that I must reschedule our crusade to accommodate the Kenyan government, PFN, and CAN crusade by moving it forward by one week.
“We have decided to act according to the word of God and move to the next city. We have spent over N43m on this crusade project, moving our trucks and trailers to Uyo and conducting mass publicity with numerous billboards around the city.
“We apologise to the 5,000 evangelists we invited to Uyo from around the world; many have already purchased their tickets from America, the UK, South Africa, Australia, Namibia, among others. We are called to win souls and not to have conflicts with anyone. Therefore, we are withdrawing our trucks and trailers back to Lagos,” the cleric wrote.
Yusuf questioned why security concerns were raised against his programme when other large crusades, including one ongoing in Uyo by the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, were proceeding without issues.
Describing the situation as unfair, he accused CAN and PFN leaders in Uyo of working against evangelistic ministries, insisting that his mission was not to establish a church in the state but to convert people for existing churches.
Yusuf also said while he respected CAN and PFN as Christian bodies, no organisation would stop him from preaching the gospel.
“I will do this till I die,” he declared. [The Punch]
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